


Unexpected Baby

by Swish42



Series: Shattered Soul Series [5]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Baby Gaster, Gen, Human/Monster Society, Mages, Mild Peril, Sorcerers, world building
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:34:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27648940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swish42/pseuds/Swish42
Summary: Baby WingDings Gaster doesn't realize he just disappeared from his own crib into a brand new world. He's happy and content wherever he is. The same cannot be said for the family of human sorcerers who just became the proud new family of this mysterious skeleton baby.
Series: Shattered Soul Series [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1338697
Comments: 6
Kudos: 30





	1. We’re Fine, Really we Are

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, so this fic is a little different from the rest of the stories in this series. This is a filler story and is about a baby WingDings Gaster who is flung through space and time into a special family. You don’t necessarily need to read the other stories in this series to read this one, but some events that take place later on will make more sense if you have.
> 
> Otherwise, enjoy seeing a baby WingDings Gaster and fluffy family moments as they try to raise this mysterious baby.

A warm glow of lights and a speckled popcorn ceiling rises well above a tiny WingDings head as he playfully grips his baby blanket with tiny bone fingers. He doesn’t realize he isn’t in his baby crib being put to sleep. He doesn’t realize he is in any kind of trouble. All he knows is that he is comfortable and happy.

The muffled voices and clank of dishes being washed can be heard just in the other room. Dinner has concluded for the evening and the Guarder family is in the middle of discussing their plans for the coming week. They are a family of five consisting of a mother, a father, a young boy just entering his adolescents, and two girls of ten and eight. Some might say having three children is a bit uneven and makes dinning out and long car trips difficult, which is true, but a worth while sacrifice. Mister and Misses Guarder wouldn’t have it any other way and think three children is the perfect amount.

Little do they know that they’ve just become the proud new parents of a new baby boy.

Of a completely different species. 

As most adults know, babies don’t typically come out of nowhere. They don’t grow in a garden. They aren’t dropped from the sky by a stork. But WingDings Gaster is a special baby and appearing into existence in a puff of magic on their lovely green couch is the only logical explanation. 

Aside from a couple of beep like coos, WingDings is silent as he contently looks up at the ceiling with large glowing eye lights. He is startled just a little when the youngest daughter, Katrina walks into the living room and takes a seat on the couch with a book in her hands. She has bright tight red curls, with olive skin and emerald green eyes, a unique trait she shares with her father. Every night her teacher expects the class to read for fifteen minutes and this is her favorite place to do enjoy a book.

Initially she is unaware of the bundle nestled close by, assuming it is one of the many throw pillows decorating the couch. After reading aloud for ten minutes WingDings has fallen asleep listening to her. As she turns the page she actually notices the bundle and peers at it curiously. Putting her bookmark in place, Katrina closes and sets the book down on the coffee table before leaning over the baby.

As she looks at him she assumes that what she is seeing is a doll, his face is so smooth and white, just like a porcelain doll. “Mom?” she calls to the other room, reaching forward and moving a piece of the blanket aside. “Did you get me a baby doll?”

“What was that?” her mom calls back, clearly busy and distracted.

Knowing that dolls like this are fragile Katrina carefully picks up the tiny newborn baby doll and cradles it in her arms. She is a little old to have a baby doll, but it really is a nice gift. It is so life like. It even breaths!

Wait it breaths.

Fussing a little as he’s held in her arms, WingDings scrunches his face and pulls his arms closer to his body.

Katrina’s eyes go wide and her hands become clammy as she stares at the ‘doll’ who is now cuddling her and fitfully asleep. As she stares on she looks closer at him and senses a pulse in his core that she recognizes. She has been trained from a young age to notice the presence of magic around her.

Why?

Because she comes from a family of sorcerers.

“MoOOOOMM!” Katrina says just a bit louder, her voice wavering in and out as she holds what she now knows to be a monster baby. A real live monster baby! She has no idea what to do with it. The loud call causes WingDings to fuss again, but he just burrows into Katrina stubbornly.

“Kat, what’s wrong?” her mom appears on the other side of the couch a towel still in her hands.

“I . . . I think it’s alive,” Katrina says. She’s torn as to what to do with the baby, rocking it slightly to try to calm it down while lifting it towards her mother so that this sudden responsibility might be taken from her.

“What are you going on about?” Mom asks, coming closer and immediately sensing something wrong.

She drops the towel and grabs the baby. “Oh my Gosh!” she practically snatches the baby from her shaking daughters arms and looks around the large space.

Murmuring in complaint, WingDings fusses with discomfort, a vibrating buzz passing through his lips.

“Oh, oh, shhhh, shhhh, its okay, your okay,” Mrs. Guarder tells the baby. She automatically looks at her daughter, nodding her head. “Your okay. I’m okay. We’re all okay.” WingDings calms down and settles but the mother gently shaking him in her arms is not okay. Her once resolute nod steadily becomes a faltering shake. 

“Mommy I just found it on the couch,” Katrina says fearfully. “I didn’t do anything, it was just there.”

“I . . . I know Kat, its fine,” she tells her baby girl. “Can you get your father for me?”

Katrina doesn’t need to be told twice and races into the other room calling her father loudly.

As soon as he appears, she hisses his name not wishing to wake the baby. “Ben.” He walks over ready to tease her over holding a baby doll until he senses and sees what it is.

“Holy sh-,” Ben starts.

“Shut it,” she snaps.

“Heh, dad said a curse word,” their son Harvey chuckles. All three children are there, curious about the sudden commotion in the household on an otherwise calm Sunday night.

“Because this is serious,” she tells him. “Honey, Kat, was there anything else on the couch?”

“MmmMmm,” Katrina shakes her head.

“Maybe there’s a note on him,” the head of the household says reaching forward and unfolding the blanket. “Keep holding him Marilyn.”

She does just that, carefully cradling the baby’s head as her husband untangles the blanket from around him. WingDings buzzes a little and frowns, but as soon as they stop moving him he’s silent again, leaving him in his light green onesie. Ben turns the blanket backwards and forward and only finds the baby’s name embroidered into the side of the fleece blanket covered in a hotdog print. “For WingDings Gaster, made with loving care,” Ben reads softly.

“What kind of name is WingDings?” Eliza, the eldest daughter asks.

“He was named after a party? Or Dancing?” Harvey cocks an eyebrow as he reevaluates the baby with this identity in mind.

“WingDings is also a type set, a font used for old computers,” Marilyn informs them as Ben moves closer to the baby to look at him.

“We should give it to the monsters, they can find its family,” Ben confides to his wife and best friend, whispering as softly as he can so the children won’t hear.

“We can’t do that, they won’t let us get near them,” Marilyn whispers back. “They hate sorcerers and for good reason.”

“But we’re new age thinkers,” Ben defends, looking proudly down at his family. 

Marilyn shoots him a frown with that raised brow that says ‘you know I’m right.’

“We could drop him off at one of their doorsteps,” Ben tries again.

“And risk the guild seeing, they have eyes everywhere,” Marilyn says. She keeps a strong face, but everyone there knows there is reasonable fear in her implications.

“But it doesn’t belong here. It must have come from one of them. It couldn’t have just come out of nowhere,” Ben hisses back. “That’s not how . . .” He is forced to stop when his ears burn and he looks down to see his children’s, namely his two little girls, staring up at him with curious wide eyes. “Then . . . then we turn it into the police.”

“But wouldn’t that mean the S.G. would take him . . .” Harvey says and his sisters look from their brother up to their parents in growing horror.

“Not with the new law in place,” Ben reminds his son with more confidence than he feels. “Monsters have equal rights as humans now, they can’t be subjugated to . . . un-fair treatment.”

“And the S.G. actually follows what the government says?” Harvey presses.

They’ve all seen the late night news, they know their world isn’t perfect and the government is easily bought.

“So we can keep him,” Katrina asks, eyes glimmering with hope.

“No,” Marilyn quickly says looking from her daughter to her husband who doesn’t give her as sure and confident a look as she demands from him right now. “No!” she tells him sternly. She hates it when he gets like this, but it is one of the qualities she loves about him. Finding a softhearted male among sorcerers is near impossible. “We can’t take in a monster baby. We don’t know the first thing about how to care for one.”

“But this baby must have been left here for a reason,” Ben answers patiently, the cloud of misgivings and doubt falling from his shoulders, visibly seen as he stands a little straighter. “We didn’t ask for this, but I will not be the one to sentence a newborn to deaths door, even a monster.”

By the maker she loves this man. “. . . You’re right Ben, but I really don’t know how we’re going to do this,” ever the practical one her mind goes through all the possibilities of what could happen and where to start with such an impossible task.

As soon as their parents make their decision verbally the two sisters celebrate, Katrina hugging her sister and singing a cheer. “We have a baby sister! We have a baby sister! We have a baby sister.”

“You don’t know that,” Harvey cuts in, ending her joyous proclamation. “It could be a boy for all you know.”

“No she isn’t, she’s too pretty to be a boy,” Katrina says, glaring mildly at her brother. She’d never hate him since she admires him too much.

With a sniff like chuckle Ben turns fully to his children, gaining their full attention. “Now we’re going to have to work together to take care of WingDings,” he tells them seriously. “This baby is our responsibility and mom and I are going to need you all to do your part. I know it’s very exciting, but taking care of a baby is hard work. Harvey, you remember what it was like with your little sister.”

The leader of the children nods his head proudly, even as his posture remains lax.

“We can’t let anyone know we have a monster and for now it’ll be a secret until your mom and I come up with a plan, can you do that?”

They all nod their heads, voicing their promise verbally in their own way.

“Now I need you to continue preparing for school tomorrow and get yourselves ready for bed,” he finishes. “Mom and I have a lot to discuss.”

Katrina and Eliza glance at the floor, folding their hands behind their backs as Harvey laces his arms across his chest. Obviously they want to be a part of the discussion, but the circumstance are serious enough where they don’t argue and Harvey herds his sisters out of the room and down the hall.

As they leave Ben and Marilyn walk to the couch with the later taking the time to re-wrap WingDings in his hot dog blanket.

“I don’t know how we’re going to make this work,” Marilyn says, her voice just barely above a whisper as she looks down at the tranquil features of this new baby.

“We’ll find a way, we have too,” he tells her wrapping an arm around her shoulder and looking down at the sleeping bundle.

There are many things she wants to say to him about this decision, but now just isn’t the time. They need to first figure out as much as they can about this baby. “Can you use your magic to see what kind of monster they are?” she asks. “Or at least their gender, that would be a start.”

With careful hands, Ben takes the tiny thing from Marilyn, cradling WingDings head as he moves the blanket away from the baby’s chest. “Really bundled you up,” he says, gazing in awe at the small thing. He remembers what it was like to hold his children when they were this small and each time he is fascinated by just how fragile they seem. WingDings is no different.

Taking the zipper he slowly pulls it down as to not disturb the sleeping baby. What he and his wife see causes Ben to freeze up and Marilyn to pale.

He’s a skeleton.

A living skeleton is one of the most fragile monsters to have ever existed.

Except as far as the S.G. is concerned, skeleton monsters are extinct.

“Ben, I’ve never heard of a . . . skeleton monster before,” Marilyn whispers. She did suspect that WingDings was unique, but the little tyke was so covered up she simply assumed they were some kind of doll monster.

“That’s because they died out thousands of years ago . . . during the war,” Ben answers. With even greater care and caution he reaches a glowing hand to the babes rib cage and coaxes the soul free.

Mister and Misses Guarder are given another shock when they see that WingDings has a ghosted human soul with specs of a white monster soul peppered in the soft red.

“Why do they have a human soul?” Marilyn clutches her partners arm, leaning forward in amazement. She holds her breath unknowingly, fearing that a single breath can disturb the fractured soul.

“I . . . I have no idea,” he sends a tiny spark of green into the soul, allowing him to get a read on the child’s well being and some of its stats. “He’s extremely fragile, but healthy. Oh and he’s a ‘he’ apparently. He’s only four months old, has ten points of health and one point of strength and defense. He also has . . . over six thousand points in magic . . .” Ben feels his mind go blank as he tries to comprehend just what that number means. Not even the arch mage himself has that much magic.

“This is . . . this is a lot to take in,” Marilyn swallows hard. “Ben,” her grip tightens. “If your colleagues saw that kind of magic . . . what would they do?”

“You know what kind of people sorcerers are,” Ben manages to say, finding his senses and letting WingDings soul nestle back safely in his tiny chest. Despite lacking lungs, the baby’s rib cage rises and falls as if he is breathing reminding Ben just what it is he holds in his hands. “Marilyn . . .” he looks in her eye and despite her obvious trepidation, there is a collected understanding there. “This really is going to be difficult.”

For a moment she shares his serious thoughts, but she breaks it with a soft smile, as if breaking a winter storm with a beam of warm sunlight. “Are you changing your mind?” she asks, knowing the answer full well.

“No,” he says without a second thought, earning a sideways hug from his spouse.

“I know,” she tells him.

They share a tender moment, not ignorant of the difficulties that lie ahead but filled with a solid determination to see it through.

“It’s awfully quiet,” Marilyn steals a glance behind the couch and low and behold six beautiful glowing green eyes look up at her.

“How much did you hear?” Ben asks, not bothering to look behind him and see what he knows is there.

At first none of them answer, the youngest pulling her knees as close to her body as she can to appear smaller than she is.

“All of it,” Harvey eventually answers point blank.

Marilyn gives him that look again. The one that says ‘They’re your children, they get this from you,’ but Ben is fairly convinced that this branch of mischief is from her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will probably be the longest chapter in this series, the rest will only be about 2K. Anyway this story was suppose to be just for me, a little 'what if' story for baby WingDings going to another world by mistake. Since this story actually has an ending I decided I might as well post it while I write the next installment. Admittedly this story is more about the OC's than WingDings, so if you don't like OC's I won't be offended if you skip this one. The normal series should continue in February.


	2. I’m Fine, We’re Fine, Everybody’s Fine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First day with the baby bones.

After reaffirming with their children what they know and making sure they understand what they’ve overheard, Mister and Misses Guarder usher their children to bed and construct a makeshift crib out of an empty drawer for WingDings. Ben heads out to the local General Store around midnight and buys the essentials for their newborn baby bones, including monster food, onesies, baby bottles, and a teething ring after noticing the baby chewing on his hand while he slept.

Ben has to be extremely careful, going so far as to use an invisibility spell, cash and a disguise to buy everything. He ignores the strange looks he receives and is exhausted when he gets home, but there is a rushing thrill also beating in his soul. If he was capable of it, he’d have used more elaborate magic to sneak into the store, but his magic isn’t as powerful as most of his colleagues. In fact he has the lowly position of archivist, keeper of the magic tomes, because it’s one of the few jobs that requires little magic to accomplish.

But he likes his job. In fact he foresees it’s going to come in really handy when looking up information about skeleton monsters.

Hardly anyone sleeps fitfully that night, aside from WingDings, while everyone else is filled with excitement and worry over the new addition of their family. Katrina is the first to wake up, packing up her things for school, dressed and ready to go. She tries to get breakfast ready for everyone, only to make a mess that Harvey has to clean when he hears the crash of a bowl.

When her mother gets up, Katrina receives a minor scolding, as she explains how everyone will pitch in differently. They accomplish tasks they are capable of, not doing things beyond their ability. As they rush through their breakfast routine Katrina finally has the courage to ask what she’s been wishing to do again since the first time she found WingDings.

“Can I hold him again,” the girl asks, wringing her hands in her lap as her feet swing beneath her chair.

Currently, WingDings is busy smacking his lips as Marilyn feeds him some monster food. They get to see his eyes for the first time and while initially perturbed by the black gaping holes and large round eye lights, they quickly grow attached to the large glowing orbs. As he eats, WingDings puts his hands together in an interesting shape. Katrina thinks it kind of looks like his hands are two ducks kissing.

Gurgling happily in a series of static humming sounds, WingDings keeps doing the same motion over and over again as he is cradled in Misses Guarder’s arms and fed.

“Maybe you can hold him later Kat,” her mom says trying to hold WingDings securely while feeding him at the same time.

“Why does he keep doing that with his hands,” Harvey asks, lowering his spoon as he watches the infant eat happily. “It almost looks like a sign.”

“It looks like two ducks kissing,” Katrina giggles.

“That means ‘more’,” Ben says, looking up from his bowl of cereal.

“Must be really hungry,” Harvey says.

“Guess he likes. . .” Eliza picks up the jar of baby food and looks at the label. “Carrot mulch.”

“Mmmm,” Ben chuckles. “Them’s good eats.”

“If it’s so good you can feed the baby,” Marilyn tells her husband, who quickly looks at the clock.

“I should get the kids to school,” he swiftly stands to his feet, but doesn’t dare leave the table with the look he feels baring down on his back. Before leaving he leans down and kisses his wife who smiles smugly at him.

“Have a good day,” she tells them all. “Remember what we talked about.”

“No prob Mom,” Harvey says, clearing the table.

“Love you,” Katrina gets up and kisses her mom and at the last minute plants a kiss on WingDings head. For a second it appears as if his eyes glow red, but she blinks and it’s gone.

“Bye,” Eliza gives her mom a quick squeeze and leaves with the rest. The family is a flurry of activity as they leave, but when the door closes the house is silent, leaving Misses Guarder alone with a mysterious skeleton baby.

She looks down at the baby who gazes up at her with naive and innocent happiness. Taking a deep calming breath, she assures herself that she is a capable mother. She’s already raised three healthy babies. She can and will do it again.

Marilyn puts a heavy napkin on her shoulder and proceeds to burp him, lightly patting his nubby spine with great care. WingDings doesn’t react at first, but it isn’t long before his little body is vibrating. It isn’t a reaction Marilyn is expecting but she goes on with the process when a chattering like whistle tickles her ear. Worried she might have hurt him, she stops and looks over at him.

WingDings is beaming at her, a large open mouth of black greeting her aside from the few white teeth gleaming. It takes a second but she realizes that he is laughing. Slowly a smile over takes Marilyn and she laughs. She laughs heartily, eliciting a shrill chime of glee from WingDings. Happy tears bead at the corners of Marilyn’s eyes as she laughs and cradles the baby bones.

“Oh my,” she says after calming her breath. Kissing the ridge of WingDings nasal cavity, Marilyn stands and picks up what is left of breakfast. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t even need burping. Now let’s see if we can find some of Kat’s old baby things. I’m sure there must be something left.”

Feeling just a tad more confident about her day, Marilyn proceeds to carry the lightweight baby around with her as she searches high and low for anything baby related left in the house.

At school Katrina, Eliza, and Harvey’s day goes on more or less like it always does, but Eliza is formulating an idea. You see she is in a unique class of students who are fifty percent monsters and while she doesn’t completely understand the reasons, it has something to do with the government restoring equal opportunities to Monsters in the year she was born. She doesn’t necessarily have any close friends who are monsters, but they get along just fine and she knows a few she can talk to without concern.

At lunch she makes her first move, taking advantage of the fact the cafeteria monitors have sat her in the middle of the long table. She bides her time until eventually one of the monster children, a rabbit name Stacy, talks about her annoying little brother. “He’s always bugging me to play with him,” she sighs dramatically. “All he does- he only plays with his dolls.”

“Dolls?” one of the boys asks.

“Yeah, those super heroes,” she says. “He likes Captain Ice.”

“How old is he?” Eliza asks softly.

“Oh he’s four now,” Stacy answers. “Has to remind - Has to - He has to tell every person that says hi to him. They don’t even ask, he tells em’.”

“My little sister does that,” another monster named Brake answers. He’s a scaly horned monster, with a mask like face. “She can’t count, but she can hold up the number two.” He demonstrates with a smirk. “I taught her that.”

“Do you remember what they were like as babies?” Eliza asks.

“Not really,” Stacy says. “All I know is that he was- he was super annoying. Crying all the time, he wouldn’t stop. We holded him all the time, keep him close to our souls since mom and dad thought he’d fall down.”

“He could- babies fall down from crying?” another human kid asks.

“Mom told me, stress could kill em’,” Stacy says, but rolls her eyes. “I don’t think it’s true.”

“Then why’d ya hafta hold him?” a kid prods.

“Because mom didn’t want to,” Stacy says matter-of-factly, clamping her arm over her chest.

“They need magic,” Brake says, gaining everyone’s immediate attention.

Stacy is annoyed at having all the attention taken from her and speaks up again. “I knew that, but mom just didn’t wanna hold him,” she says. “He’s disgusting.”

Aware of Stacy’s dependency on attention and never one to seek confrontation Brake doesn’t say anything else, but Eliza turns to him.

“How do babies get magic?” she asks him. The others around them continue to talk with Stacy and how annoying younger sibling are, giving them a little privacy.

“Through their souls,” he answers. “Either they get it through holding or the parent gives magic directly.”

“What about food?” Eliza asks, thinking of the little jar of monster food her mom fed WingDings that morning.

“Food helps, but it’s not - a baby needs more,” Brake answers.

“Why do you care?” another human from a sorcerers family asks. Terry is the only other human from a sorcerer family in her class. They take magic lessons together after school at the Guild and he’s always pushing his skills in her face.

“I dunno,” she shrugs, acting disinterested. “Just curious.”

The boy glares at her, but she makes a point not to look at him, continuing to pick the food off her tray and half listening to Stacy.

“Stupid weirdo,” he says under his breath.

Everyone at the table glares at him, causing Terry to go on the defensive. It is less than a minute later when the cafeteria monitors are forced to move the student to another table to keep him from saying anything else that is possibly racist. It’s a daily occurrence sadly.

At the guild Ben is busy collecting and consolidating materials for the higher mages, all while peeking through monster books whenever he gets the chance. He’s part of a group of five librarians and archivists so it’s easy to go unnoticed in the large library. It’s about time to pick his kids up for their mage studies when his pager alerts him of an incoming message. The ring tone is the one he has set for his wife and he immediately goes to a phone and calls her.

“Hi Marilyn,” he tries to sound casual, just in case anyone is close by to hear him.

“Ben, everything’s fine, I just . . . am not sure what to do,” she tells him through a pinched voice. He knows that sound. It is how she sounds when she is terrified, but in survival mode, determined to sound fine as to keep calm.

“What happened?” he asks trying to stay calm as well.

“Hands,” she says. “I’ve put them all in Kat’s butterfly net, but they keep appearing. I think I’ve caught. . . six so far.”

“Hands?” what is that suppose to mean.

“Yes skeleton hands,” she barks.

“And W.D.” he asks, discreetly looking around.

“Fine, but I am not all right!” she screams and he hears her swat at something with a huff as a giggled chime rings in the background.

“I think that’s magic,” he answers just in time to hear her slam something onto a counter. Seconds later he hears a dial tone scream mixed with a baby’s cry.

“Oh no,” Marilyn gasps. He hears her drop the phone piece instantly as she goes to comfort the sobbing baby.

“Hey Ben?” his coworker Adrian calls to him down the isle of books. “Everything okay?”

“Ah, well, it seems we have a pest problem at home and Marilyn isn’t handling it well,” he tells him the sounds of screams easily heard. He is proud of himself on the half truth half lie he’s managed to conjure right on the spot. Also managed to get a discreet pun in there. “Hey do you think you could pick up my kids when you get Tilly? I’m going to swing by the house.”

“Sounds nasty,” Adrian squirms, having slight issue with small critters, namely spiders. “Don’t, worry, I’ll pick them all up in the van.”

“Thanks Adrian,” Ben says. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” After calling his kids academy to inform them of the change, Ben drives home as swiftly as the speed limit allows, rolling a few stop signs like every good parent does. “Marilyn!”

A muffled call from Marilyn guides Ben down the hall and into their room. He finds her slumped in the chair by the computer monitor, hair mussed, and eyes calmly shut. WingDings is asleep in her arms, harmlessly gumming his unique hand happily.

“Hey,” she says chuckling.

“Are you okay?” he asks, worry etched in his features as he stands beside her and drapes an arm behind her shoulders.

“I’m fine, we’re fine, everybody’s fine,” she tells him. “I had no idea those hand things belonged to the baby, I just assumed we’d been discovered or something horrible and the guild was messing with me. They disappeared as soon as I got him to take his nap.”

He nods and sits on the armrest of the chair, sparing just the few moments he has to be with her. Once reassured she’ll be all right, Ben heads back to work, trying just a little harder to find what he can on Skeleton Monsters.

With a paper bag full of books, and more questions than answers, he rounds up the kids and heads home half past five, picking up a pre-roasted chicken at the super market per Marilyn’s request. The kids are excited, talking about their day and studies with Katrina and Harvey dominating the conversation. When they get home Katrina immediately asks to hold the baby and this time her mother permits it.

As the family prepares dinner, Katrina holds WingDings and reads aloud to him, reading a little longer than fifteen minutes, but she doesn’t care. WingDings doesn’t complain when she gets a word wrong and merely stares up at her in wonder. She even sings for him and he doesn’t complain. When she’s finished, he claps his hands and makes a chirping buzzing sound as if trying to speak. She pretends he is and talks back to him.

After a while though his eyelids droop and he fusses in the crook of her arm. In concern she asks him. “Hey, what’s the matter?” Propping him up and looking in his eye lights.

He doesn’t understand her, but he does make a sign. Using two pointer fingers and touching them back and forth. It is very similar to the ‘more’ sign only instead of using all of his fingers he’s only using his pointer fingers.

“Dad,” Katrina calls. “WingDings wants something.”

Hearing her easily, Ben walks behind the couch and glances down at the baby boy. Noting the sign he’s making. “That means pain,” he says, moving around the couch and coming to sit beside her. He takes note of where the baby is making the sign so he will know where the pain is.

It’s his chest, where his soul would be.

By this time tears are coming to WingDings eyes and he’s whimpering, reaching up towards Ben which surprises him. He takes the babe and cradles him gently, pushing a pulse of magic into him to check the state of his soul. “His health points dropped,” Ben says under his breath and he feels a pull on his magic.

“I learned something at school today,” Eliza speaks up. “Monster babies need more magic.”

“More magic?” Ben asks, latching onto what his daughter is saying while feeling that strange tug on his soul.

“For his soul,” she says. “The other kids were talking about it at lunch.”

Ben suspects that Eliza somehow managed to ask about it, but he doesn’t worry about that right now. Since human souls are much stronger than monster souls he doesn’t direct too much magic into the baby’s soul, but it isn’t long till he discovers just how much the baby needs. WingDings is like a dry sponge, taking it all in and showing no signs of dripping with excess until a good five minutes later.

Releasing a sigh of relief, Ben looks up to see his entire family surrounding him, staring at him with wonder and silent concern. “Well I guess that’s what he needed,” Ben chuckles, leaning back into the couch and settling WingDings against his chest. A blaze of red catches his eyes and he is caught off guard when he sees that the baby’s eyes are no longer large white orbs that take up more of the space of his eye, but are burning red rings.

He blinks once and it’s gone.

WingDings is smiling again and clutches Ben’s shirt with tight fingers as the family breathes a sigh of relief. “How did you learn that Eliza?” Ben asks, relaxing his shoulders.

“Stacy was complaining about her little brother and that got Brake to tell me about his baby sister,” she tells him. “I asked him about magic and babies and he told me they usually take in magic with physical touch, but it isn’t always enough.”

“I thought the baby food was enough,” Marilyn says. “Guess we’re going to be holding him a lot. Maybe we can get a carrier or a sling.” It is very difficult to work and hold a baby, especially such a fragile one made only of bones.

“Thank you Eliza, that was some good thinking,” Ben says, making the young girl blush and beam proudly at the same time. “But be careful.” That quells her pride a little, but she accepts the warning with a nod. “I want you to be very careful about what you tell and ask the other children,” he directs this to all of them but Harvey notices that their dad doesn’t necessarily discourage them from asking monsters questions entirely.

“I’m going to write this down,” Misses Guarder says, skipping a step as she makes her way to the cubby area in the kitchen where they keep their schedules and the home phone.

“Anyone feel like reading the books I brought home today?” Ben asks while his kids are circled around him.

“No way am I reading that,” Harvey jumps up and rushes to the kitchen with his sister close behind.

“I already did my reading for the day,” Katrina offers as her excuse.

Eliza doesn’t bother offering an excuse, she just leaves.

“Ben,” Marilyn calls.

“Yeah,” he answers back.

“I’m making a list of things I want you to buy at the store tonight,” she tells him. “And dinner’s ready.”

“Ya hear that WingDings? It’s dinner,” he tells the bundle of bones lying on his chest. The baby bones looks up into his face, gurgling a series of fuzzy beeping sounds. “We should move,” Ben tells him and WingDings answers with a blurb and pop.

They stare at one another a solid second or two.

“BEN,” Marilyn calls again.

“All right, all right, we’re coming, we’re coming,” Ben picks up a giggling, at least he thinks its giggling, WingDings to enjoy a meal together. “We should probably invest in a high chair.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ended up longer than I thought it would be, but it covers a lot of different members of the family and world building. I imagine this story takes place in this worlds equivalent of the late 90’s so technology is around, but not as efficient as today. Does anyone even know what a pager is these days? Also the scene with the children in the cafeteria . . . yeah I’m that monitor whose suppose to be watching these kids. Closest I’ll ever come to being in my own story.


	3. You Scratch my Back I Might Scratch Yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot today was Friday . . . Day two with Baby WingDings.

The next day at lunch Eliza doesn’t have the opportunity to ask about monster babies again since the nosy Terry is sitting close by, but her brother Harvey has an opportunity practically dropped into his lap. It’s during the last session of the day for his health education class.

“We were supposed to start this assignment yesterday, but we didn’t have enough supplies. Now we do. This baby is your responsibility,” his teacher, Mr. Brandie, announces holding a well used toy doll in front of the class. The one he’s holding in particular is painted green, with two extra sets of arms sewn on. A ‘monster baby’ provided by the government to encourage diversity in schools.

All Harvey knows is that this is his lucky day. The only problem is that there are only about eleven monsters in the class.

“Now to encourage diversity and multiculturalism, I’m going to assign as many mixed partners as I can, but only if you are comfortable with it,” Mr. Brandie says. “If you agree, I’ll grant you extra credit, if the baby comes back in one piece after two weeks.”

The teacher waits for this to sink in before he asks the inevitable next question. “Who here is willing to be partnered in a divers mixed group. Please raise your hand.”

Slowly Harvey raises his hand, knowing better than to appear too eager. He does feel a little cheated and curses his shortsightedness for choosing to sit in the front row of the class today. Feeling the classes eyes on him Harvey remains firm and keeps his hand up without looking back. Any teenager can tell you that looking back at the others is the second worse decision you can make when raising your hand.

The first worse decision is bothering to raise your hand at all.

Mr. Brandie does a double take, before smiling at him, no doubt encouraged to see a young man from a known sorcerer family to be such a forward thinker. Really it doesn’t hurt Harvey’s family any. They’re already sitting at one of the lowest rings in the sorcerer cast system and the sorcerers remind them every chance they get.

“Is any monster willing to be partnered with young Mister Guarder?” Mr. Brandie asks, giving the monsters a chance to back out since sorcerers . . . aren’t their friends.

Deflated, Harvey sighs and lowers his gaze, his hand trailing down with it. It is nice of Mr. Brandie to give the monsters a choice, but it really puts a hole in his masterful plan. He hasn’t done anything to upset monsters, after all his parents are unprejudiced and have passed that onto him. He remembers the one time he was mean to a monster in kindergarten and he was spanked and grounded for two weeks. But really what taught him the lesson was the way that girl looked at him after that. Of course he apologized and she accepted, but every time he saw her again after that he felt heavy inside.

“Looks like we got a few takers,” Mister Brandie announces. Harvey is shocked and stares forward with wide eyes. His nerves again keep him looking forward, but he really wants to know who is willing to be teamed with him.

He hopes it’s a responsible student.

“Mister Pan Jenkins,” the teacher says with a nod of his head. “You’ll be partners for this project.” Harvey is so disappointed that he doesn’t hear the murmured sighs and grumbles of displeasure from the other monsters who wanted him as a partner. Harvey is growing into a handsome young man, a fact he is naively unaware of.

“No complaints?” Brandie asks and when no one contests it the partnership is made final.

Harvey chooses not to contest it, after all Pan comes from a large family of bunny monsters, even if Pan is known for being a bit lazy. If he wants to learn about monster babies Pan would be his best bet. When neither complains Mister Brandie continues to assign the other students and Harvey tries to put his thoughts in order and think of essential questions he should ask Pan.

“Hey,” Pan says standing next to Harvey and waking him from his thoughts.

Harvey clears his throat and looks up at the gangly teen. “Hey,” he greets right back. “Thanks for agreeing to be my partner.” Since he doesn’t really know what else to say, thanking him seems like a good idea.

“No prob, dude,” Pan says, standing their casually. He has his hands in his pockets, with his pelvis forward and a sway back. At first he doesn’t say anything more, just standing there all cool like while Harvey steadily grows more and more nervous. “So, how serious are you about this project?”

“Grades are really important in my family,” Harvey easily answers, which is somewhat true. His mother and father have always cared about their children’s academic progress, but they’ve never punished him for scoring low on a test. Then again Harvey enjoys getting high marks, just because it makes him feel good.

“Heh, naw that’s not it,” Pan shakes his head and Harvey’s plastered grin twitches. Why is this guy being so difficult?

“Well then I care about my grades,” Harvey answers hoping that will get the guy off his back.

“Way I see it, we could easily just take turns watching this thing and get a good grade,” Pan replies smartly. “Especially if it stays with you all the time. As long as we do the work in class and make Brandie happy it’s a shoe in.”

Harvey feels his cheeks burn a little red as his frustration mounts. Is this guy just going to use him for a good grade? I mean, sure he plans on using Pan to get information about monster babies, but it’s for a good cause! He really doubts his dad is going to find anything in those moldy old books. It’s a library about magic, not monsters.

“Yeah it would be,” Harvey says, letting a light glare slide over his features. He’s tempted to stand but Pan has him beat in height so it wouldn’t do him any good. “But I actually want to learn something to.”

“So you admit it,” Pan grins victoriously. “You’re just a sorcerer spy.”

Rolling his eyes, Harvey slumps in his chair and glances around the room. Maybe it isn’t too late to change partners if Pan is going to just assume he’s a spy. Everyone is busy talking or shoving the doll at each other as to not be tied down by the responsibility of it. None of what he sees looks very promising. Maybe Pan really is the best choice he has, if not the only one.

“I’m not a spy,” he says, not expecting his classmate to believe him. “I’m . . . curious about monster babies.”

“If you’re curious just buy a book about it from the store or look it up online,” Pan says, folding his arms over his chest.

“Already have,” Harvey lies. His family can’t risk looking that stuff up on their computer. They might be a tad paranoid, but they know full well how much control and power the S.G. has. Picturing a chess board and imagining what he needs to say in order to get what he wants, Harvey continues. “I figured this is a unique experience.”

“Well I don’t trust you, dude,” Pan glares right back at Harvey, but the teen isn’t looking at the monster, but he can see the monsters eyes in the reflection of the window he’s looking out of.

“What if I showed you my soul, would you trust me then?” Harvey says stiffly. He’s playing with fire and he knows it, you don’t just offer to show some stranger your soul, but it’s not like he can tell Pan the truth. He knows Pan is a good guy, loyal to his friends and family.

“Dude, stop it,” Pan snaps. “You’re not helping your case.”

“I’m serious,” Harvey chooses now to look him in the eye, letting him know just how determined he is. He’ll do anything for his family, new family member WingDings included. “I just want to learn about monsters, plain and simple.” If he’s being a little honest, the idea of showing his soul to a monster is nerve wracking and goes against everything he’s been taught at the guild, but he doubts the monster will take him up on the offer. He really hopes Pan doesn’t take him up on the offer.

Pan meets his eyes, but he can’t hold his gaze and before long the tall monster is looking away, his paw like fingers fidgeting along his arms. “Dude, it’s just a school project,” Pan says softly, glancing around the room nervously.

Rather than answer Harvey keeps his gaze on Pan. When Pan’s gaze lowers onto him again Harvey’s serious expression is their waiting for him. 

He has the king in check.

“Dude, not sure if I admire you or if you’re just crazy,” Pan finally says.

Check and mate.

It’s scary how he can get what he wants when he puts some effort into it.

“It’s probably both,” Harvey says with more humor and effectively lightening the mood.

“Hey, don’t think I’m going to make this easy for you, dude” Pan says in a rush. “You want to learn about monsters so bad come home with me after school.”

“Sure,” Harvey doesn’t even hesitate.

“But . . . but don’t you have your sorcerer stuff?” Pan asks.

“I’ll just tell my dad I’ve got a school project to work on at a classmate’s house,” he says writing a note to himself to call his dad. Or he could have his sister relay the message.

“But . . . I’m a monster,” Pan continues as Harvey puts his notebook away.

“And I’m a human, we’ll get over it,” Harvey rolls his eyes again and looks up at Pan. “Don’t make this awkward,” he sighs and adds as an afterthought. “Dude.”

Hearing that makes Pan smile. “Yeah, all right, Dude.”

Huh, apparently he just made a friend.

Back at the house Marilyn has WingDings in a sling as she works on the family bills at the kitchen table. WingDings magic hands are all over the place, but she is doing a good job at ignoring the wayward appendages. One hand close by limply twitches and rattles across the table as she works. When the sound becomes irritating she puts it in a bread basket and covers it up with a heavy cloth napkin where other magic hands twitch uselessly.

Yes, the hands are useless to the baby. It is amazing that WingDings can use magic at all being four months old, but that’s where the novelty ends.

“BuhBubBzzzzztBuh,” WingDings babbles before putting a teething ring in his mouth.

“About ready for a nap?” Marilyn asks the baby as she works the numbers and seals the envelope with this months check. She doesn’t talk to WingDings in a ‘baby voice’ as she calls it, since she thinks it’s nonsense.

“Abbaabbaaa *beep* *fizzle* baabaab,” he answers.

She smiles at him and kisses his head causing WingDings to slowly blink up at her, that small grin never leaving him. He’s become much more vocal over the course of the day which Marilyn chooses to take as a good sign.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” she says and sets the envelope in the nook to be mailed later. Moving into the master bedroom, she lays WingDings in the makeshift drawer crib and puts him down.

At least she tries to.

When she turns to leave his little hands grab onto her shirt and she nearly drags him out of the bed. Her heart leaps into her throat as she snatches WingDings into her arms before he can tumble from the bed. He squeals in discomfort his eyes flashing red as he clutches at her. She doesn’t see the red, focused only on saving the baby.

“Oh, oh, your okay, your okay baby,” she comforts him as he cries in her arms. Sighing heavily, she rocks him and leaves the room with him, knowing he won’t sleep till he’s settled down.

Returning him to her sling she gets back to work, finishing the last of the bills and canceling her hair appointment for later that week. It isn’t as if she can hire a babysitter.

Before she knows it, WingDings is asleep in the sling, sucking on his hand contently. This isn’t exactly what she had in mind for his naps, but every time she tries to put him down he fusses.

“It’s like I have a growth,” she chuckles to herself. “Even Katrina wasn’t this clingy as a baby.” Checking the time she mumbles to herself about time being her new enemy and checks the fridge for anything edible. She ends up putting some easy bake meals in the oven which should be done by the time the family gets back.

When she looks down again to check on WingDings he’s staring up at her with his large glowing orbs. “Uhbubzzzz *beep *pop* saaa,” he says.

“I see you had a nice nap,” She answers and he makes a dial tone sound in response. She has to wonder if his noises are normal for monster babies. She nearly doesn’t notice, but he makes a sign to her and it isn’t one she recognizes as ‘more’ ‘pain’ or ‘food’.

The fact he signs at all astounds her. Babies, at least human babies, can’t learn to sign until at least six months of age and even then sometimes they can only understand it since they don’t have much dexterity in their hands to sign accurately. But WingDings doesn’t have much trouble at all.

“Is something wrong?” she asks, hoping that he’ll use a sign she might know. Watching his hand carefully she sees him put his palm flat against his chest while making an upward motion and repeating this several times. Pressing her lips she decides it would be safe to look it up on the computer.

She finds it.

“Happy?” she asks looking at the child. There is no way for him to confirm he understands her but since he keeps repeating the sign while happily gurgling she assumes he must be happy. “Well hello Happy, nice to meet you, I’m exhausted. You might not weigh much, but I’ve been carrying you all day.”

There is a bustle of movement at the door, snapping Marilyn’s attention away from WingDings. “We’re back!” Ben calls as both her girls rush in and drop their backpacks in the entry way. They are also carrying stacks of books, which Marilyn eyes wearily.

“Won’t they notice your sudden interest in monsters?” Marilyn asks Ben as he plants a kiss on her cheek and rubs WingDings head.

“I’m also checking out Magic theory and Historic Mage texts so it shouldn’t be a problem,” Ben tells her lightly. She can’t help but worry even with his calm confidence. “Aaaannnnnd, look what I got.” He holds up a pretty looking stone that has a swirling smoke shimmering inside it.

Marilyn lifts a brow, hoping that isn’t for her. She isn’t partial to the dark blue color. “What am I looking at?” she asks patiently.

“It’s an Alteration Stone,” he declares, setting it onto WingDings chest. In a glimmer of blue, a rippling smoke spreads over the baby until his visible features are replaced with that of a human baby. He has jet black hair, green eyes, and a pale skin tone that nearly matches the pallor of his bones.

Everyone stares in shock, while Ben beams proudly at the sight.

A second later WingDings sneezes and a magic hand appears.

“Ahh, what is it!?” Eliza yelps in alarm, causing the hand to sputter in the air as WingDings gives a quick start.

“It’s his magic, he can summon bone hands,” Marilyn explains.

“Really?” Katrina asks. “That’s so cool! I love you WingDings.” She comes forward and hugs her mother, lightly bringing her head up to WingDings who buzzes happily. “You’re the best little brother.”

“Speaking of brothers where’s Harvey?” Marilyn asks.

“He’s working on a school project,” Ben answers. “Said he wouldn’t be back until later tonight.”

“Did he say where he went?” Marilyn asks, warning bells going off in her mind. Their son is quite responsible for his age, but he needs to tell them where he’s at.

“. . . A classmate’s house,” Ben answers belatedly realizing his mistake.

Marilyn sighs heavily. “And this is why he told you and not me,” she growls. They will be talking about this later, but not in front of the girls and with dinner nearly ready.

Back at the Jenkins’ home Harvey is learning more about monsters then he could have hoped for, including more than he wanted to know as he discovers while holding the youngest member of the family, Joann or is it JoJo. 

“I hate you,” Harvey glares at Pan who merely claps a friendly hand on his shoulder.

“Can’t say I blame you, dude,” Pan says, holding JoJo’s triplet brother Kipling, or Kip. “Mom and Dad have really been looking forward to this night off and I needed the extra help.”

“I can’t believe you used me like this,” Harvey lowers JoJo onto the changing table and proceeds to change her clothes after she spilled her meal all over herself. He smells like monster baby food.

“Dude, they’ll pay ya,” Pan says. “Even though you’re a sorcerer. Not like they’re going to pay me for this. Oh, we should change her diaper.”

“. . . but . . . I . . .” Harvey is at a loss for words.

“Common dude, it’s just a diaper,” Pan says. “If you want the ladies to like you, learn to change a diaper and cook. That’s what mom tells me.”

“I’m more concerned with my next grade,” Harvey confesses as he takes little Kip and watches the pro change JoJo’s diaper. As he watches he realizes not only that it’s disgusting but that he isn’t sure WingDings is wearing a diaper. Perhaps he just didn’t notice.

“I haven’t seen much difference between human babies and monster babies so far,” Harvey observes as they switch babies so Pan can change Kip next.

“There really isn’t much difference between my species of monster and humans,” Pan admits. “We are mostly made of magic, but our body still functions a lot like a human.”

“So can it change depending on the type of monster?” Harvey asks.

“Ya got it dude,” Harvey says.

“So . . . what about a baby monster like . . . an elemental?” Harvey bobs JoJo up and down who is busy pushing her hands in his face. “Would they have diapers?”

“Nope,” Pan says, setting down Kip and picking up the third baby Lil who is half asleep. “Babies like that use up all the nutrients they can get, either it gets used or expelled in a different way, like magic bursts.”

“Magic bursts?”

“Yeah, dude,” Pan says. “Actually I’ve heard some sorcerer babies do something similar. If they have a lot of magic they summon an attack of some kind, typically not powerful and completely harmless, but some form of magic.”

“And monster babies are the same?”

“Only the ones with a lot of magic or mostly made up of magic,” Pan grows thoughtful and looks back at Harvey. “Ya know dude, before talking about it with you today I thought human babies and monster babies were way different.”

“You should write that in your report for Mister Brandie,” Harvey grins. “He’ll give you an ‘A’ for sure.”

“Yeah, good idea dude,” Pan says just as Harvey’s pager vibrates, notifying him of his mother’s concern.

“Can I use your phone?” Harvey asks.

“Sure, dude,” Pan looks at the device with wonder. “You get all the good stuff, pager and everything.”

“If I got all the good stuff I’d have a cell phone,” Harver points out.

“More like brick phone,” Pan chuckles.

The phone call is civil despite the evident worry in the mothers voice as she asks where he is. He tells her and it takes a good five seconds before she asks if he needs a ride home. After working out when Mister and Misses Jenkins will return, they set up a time and Harvey gets back to rocking Lil.

When the Jenkin parents return they praise Harvey’s responsibility at such a young age making a point to meet Ben when he comes to pick his son up. The parents hit it off well which means they are there for another twenty minutes.

It isn’t until they are driving down the road that Ben asks his son the inevitable question. “Did you go out of your way to be paired with young Mister Jenkins?” he asks.

“. . . Not Pan by name,” Harvey answers vaguely.

“But you did want a monster partner,” Ben clarifies.

Harvey glances over to his father cautiously noting that he doesn’t appear stiff or ruffled by this information.

“Yes,” he answers honestly.

With a long sigh Ben pulls into the driveway, but doesn’t move to open the door. Harvey doesn’t move, waiting silently for his dad to finish, trying to think of a plausible excuse for his action as he becomes defensive.

“You could have told me Harvey,” Ben says. “It’s a smart idea, very clever, but you could have told me from the beginning what you were doing.”

A wave of guilt washes over Harvey and any biting argument quickly dies on his lips. “Yeah, all right,” he says softly and when Ben opens the door he knows it’s time to leave.

As soon as they open the door a screeching alarm like cry is ringing through the house. Eliza and Katrina are on the couch, the latter of which has two throw pillows jammed into the sides of her head.

“What’s going on?” Harvey asks his sister as his father rushes into the other room. “Is that the alarm?”

“It’s WingDings, Mom was trying to put him to bed,” Katrina answers, practically screaming to be heard herself. “But as soon as she turned off the light he started screaming.”

“He also refused to let go of her,” Eliza supplies, holding her palms over her ears when an especially painful cry pierces their ear drums.

Moments later the screaming alarm grows louder as Ben comes into the room with WingDings against his chest. WingDings is clearly upset, scrunched up against him with tiny fingers fisted into Ben’s shirt. “Go to bed,” their father says calmly and settles onto the couch, pouring magic into the little tyke.

They do as he asks, but don’t get to sleep until an hour later when WingDings is finally settled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another unexpectedly long chapter. I was testing out writing a character like Harvey and I can’t say I’m all together happy with it, but I’m calling it done. My favorite part though is Marilyn with WingDings, especially the way she talks to him.


	4. Too Green

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tension at the Sorcerers guild, but that isn’t the Guarder family’s biggest problem.

The following morning Harvey tells them all what he has learned from the Jenkins’ babies. He also tells them he’ll be spending his afternoons with Pan for the next two weeks. It is a little worrisome that Harvey will be skipping out on his magic lessons, but everyone knows he hates it. The fourteen year old would much rather take care of three rambunctious triplets than study magic and look like a fool doing it.

In an unexpected turn of events WingDings somehow gets his hands on Harvey’s monster baby doll before the teen can put it safely away in his backpack. The baby monster squeezes the doll happily, batting the toys purple painted nose and talking to it in his odd special blurbs. The doll is bigger than he is making it the perfect thing to squeeze.

“I need that WingDings,” Harvey tells him gently attempting to pry it from the baby’s arms.

But WingDings won’t have it.

“Abbaabbzzzzzt,” WingDings fusses, gripping the doll as if it is the most valuable thing on the planet. For all WingDings knows, this doll is the most valuable thing that will ever come to be grasped in his tiny hands.

“WingDings, no,” Harvey grumbles, wedging one of his hands between WingDings and the doll so he can pull them apart.

“Yes, WingDings that isn’t yours,” Marilyn says, pulling WingDings to her chest.

Buzzing angrily, but not screaming, WingDings continues to grasp the doll. The buzzing grows louder when the determined baby’s eyes burn red.

In alarm, Harvey releases the doll, forcing WingDings and the toy into his mother’s chest. Marilyn grunts in surprise as the face of the baby toy slams into WingDings skull. The baby bones, blinks several times before releasing the doll and hiding himself in his surrogate mothers chest.

Marilyn sighs, glaring at her son as she comforts the softly sobbing baby.

“Mom, his eyes,” Harvey quickly says picking the baby doll up from where it has fallen. “They were glowing red.”

“. . . You saw it too?” Katrina asks.

“I thought it was just me,” Eliza says.

Ben and Marilyn look at each other, they’d seen it too.

“What do you think that means?” Harvey asks.

Glancing at the clock, Marilyn bounces WingDings up and down when he starts to hiccup, a phenomena she will never understand since he doesn’t apparently have saliva or lungs. Unknown to anyone there, each time WingDings body jolts a tiny femur bone pops up out of the ground. “We can find out later,” Marilyn says standing and giving her youngest daughter a side hug. “You’re running late.”

As everyone is going about their day all of them are thinking about WingDings strange glowing red eyes. It is late afternoon though when Katrina and Eliza see it again, only this time it is yellow and comes from one of the young students sparing with their magic instructor. Both girls perk up and Katrina immediately raises her hand.

“Yes, Miss Katrina, what did you learn,” Mister Glade asks as he helps the student off the floor.

“Uh, I learned you are much stronger than Mister Tommy,” she says awkwardly before continuing with what she wants to say. “And I saw his eyes glowing yellow. Why did that happen?”

“His soul trait activated,” Mister Glade explains. “His soul trait is Justice.”

“But why did it show up in his eyes?” she asks. “Is it a kind of magic?”

“Yes,” Mister Glade says. “When a sorcerers eyes glow it means they are filled with the magic of their soul, becoming much stronger.”

“Thank you Mister Glade,” Katrina says politely, ignoring the scornful glares of the other students.

“Everybody knows that,” someone whispers.

“So stupid,” another says.

“Why are they even here?”

“Did you hear about Harvey?”

“So lame.”

“It’s because they’re green.”

Katrina doesn’t hear them, but Eliza does and listens carefully. Sometimes they say useful things while complaining about others.

“Only reason the S.G. keeps them around is because green is so rare.”

“But it’s so weak?”

“I’m glad I’m not green.”

“Did you know green can heal?”

“It can?”

“No way!”

“But no one remembers how it’s done.”

“So they’re still useless.”

“How sad is that?”

Smiling to herself, Eliza takes her place in the sparing ring and like always, concedes after the fight thirty seconds much to Mister Glades frustration. Katrina takes her turn practicing some new shield designs before conceding the fight like her sister.

“What did you think of that?” Katrina asks her sister.

“I like the cross design, very creative,” she says.

“And it’s easier to move,” Katrina smiles.

When the are lessons finished for the day everyone stands to leave but Mister Glade asks the Guarder sisters to stay behind.

“You need to put some effort into the sparing matches,” he tells them. “Your family excels in the construction of spells and creativity, but you need to try and put what you learn into practice. You aren’t helping yourselves improve by simply watching and waiting.”

Politely the sisters nod and thank their teacher for his sage advice, but they have no intention of actually following it. They have nothing to prove to these people, in fact the girls fear and hate the sorcerers deep down, so why should they put themselves out there?

“So W.D. is Determination,” Eliza says on their way home that night. Ben silently listens to his daughters conversation, but doesn’t offer his own opinions, letting them figure things out.

“Yeah, that’s the strongest soul there is,” Katrina bubbles, hopping up and down in her seat. 

“So this morning . . . he must of really wanted that doll,” Eliza says, thinking back to that morning.

“And it’s such an ugly doll too,” Katrina scrunches her nose and sticks out her tongue. “Couldn’t Harvey choose a prettier doll?”

“That isn’t how health class works and that isn’t how real life works either,” Ben tells them in a moment of wisdom. He mentally pats himself on the back for thinking of it.

“Well, I guess we didn’t choose WingDings but he’s way prettier,” Katrina says.

“Don’t you mean handsome?” Eliza corrects.

“He’s a baby, he can be pretty,” Katrina argues.

As they walk into the house they are silent about their WingDings discovery, but Katrina fills the empty space with her story about a classmate going out of his way to save another earthworm. When they enter the house they are met with the smell of dinner and their brother carrying WingDings for once.

“What are you doing home so early?” Ben asks, setting down his new collection of books by the door.

“Mister Jenkins brought me home,” he says. “And don’t worry I made sure he didn’t come to the door.” As he is speaking little WingDings hiccups, jerking up comically in his arms. Simultaneous to his hiccup a tiny femur bone pops up out of the floor, standing upright for a second before clattering against the tiles.

“What is that!” Katrina points in surprise as Eliza moves forward to pick it up.

“Uh, yeah he’s been doing that every time he hiccups,” Harvey says as Eliza picks up the tiny white bone. “They disappear eventually.”

“Its miniature sized,” Eliza grins. “Just like him.”

“Actually I know about this,” Ben says coming forward and plucking the tiny bone from his daughter’s fingers. “I read about this last night in the history of the First War. Skeleton monsters were magically powerful but physically fragile. One of their signature moves was using femur bones for attack and defense. It was quite ingenious.” The excitement is evident in the twinkle of his eye and his children are used to it. He is very passionate about learning new things and sharing his knowledge with them. Sometimes he gets a little long winded but he means well and tries to condense what he knows.

“Dinner is almost ready, come help me get it ready,” Marilyn calls and everyone scurries to help with Katrina taking over baby carrying duty.

Part way through the meal Harvey remembers the time Pan had to change Lily’s diaper and asks his parents about it. “Does he poop? I mean he isn’t wearing a diaper is he?” Harvey asks.

“Harvey! Not at the dinner table,” Marilyn tells him sternly as his two sister giggle at the word poop.

“I’m just curious, I mean does he?” Harvey says.

Ben and Marilyn glance at each other and Ben answers. “We noticed the first night that he didn’t have a diaper on and he’s never needed one,” Ben says before waving a hand towards Harvey. “But you’re the new Monster Baby expert maybe you can tell us why. That way we don’t have to worry . . . unless we should be worried.”

“From what Pan told me I don’t think we need to worry,” Harvey replies, sitting straighter as he’s giving the reins of explaining. “He expels unneeded energy through his random use of magic.”

“So . . .” Katrina starts. “Every time he uses a bone, or a hand goes poof, that’s like him pooping?” She scrunches her nose and Eliza’s eyes widen in silent horror.

Immediately Harvey uses this opportunity to mess with his sister proudly agreeing, “Yep, it’s the same thing.”

“EEWWwwww,” both girls say in tune with the other.

“Harvey, it is not the same thing,” Marilyn chastises him, but Harvey and Ben are laughing under their breath. “Ben!”

“Sorry, sorry, girl’s she’s right, it’s not the same thing, it’s just magic,” Ben assures them.

The girls release a sigh of relief before lightly glaring at their elder brother. Katrina even goes so far as to stick her tongue out at him but a quick glare from her mother puts that tongue right back where it belongs.

That evening, as they transition to putting WingDings down for the night, Marilyn winds up an old music box and sets it close beside his head. It plays a simple tune of Für Elise and is only the mechanism itself, the box it once belonged to is broken and long gone, but Marilyn loves the song and salvaged the musical portion. WingDings is babbling at first but grows silent as he listens to the melodious tune.

He listens so intently he doesn’t fall asleep right away, but when he does he’s out like a light. “I think I might have figured out a way to set him down for naps,” Marilyn says proudly, letting the music continue to play until it slows and clinks to a stop.

The next three days find the Guarder family steadily forming a routine. Marilyn stays home taking care of the baby, Ben pours over books and goes out for late night shopping sprees while Harvey takes careful notes of everything Pan and his family teach him about monster babies. Katrina and Eliza work together to keep the house tidy and keep up appearances at the S.G. but the rumors are circulating and Ben is starting to receive a little heat from his supervisors for his son’s decision for his health class.

Being the good father he is Ben is careful to keep the brunt of the guilds disappointment on himself and away from his family, especially Harvey since he is personally so very proud of his son. This is the kind of attitude and understanding he wants to see flourish in his children, a kindness he sees as quite valuable even when the higher positions in the guild strongly disagree.

Sadly their little baby secret can’t stay hidden forever. 

With the promise of being paid for his time, Harvey spends Saturday night with his new monster friend Pan, taking care of the family while the Jenkins enjoy another night out. When it’s time to leave Harvey has to ask them for a ride home since his parents are busy trying to get WingDings to calm down after something loud scares him. On the ride back Pan travels with him and Mister Jenkins, the two falling into conversation about the latest video game using actual computer graphic’s as opposed to pixels and animation.

When they arrive at his house Harvey insists he can walk himself to the door and takes his leave, unaware that in his hurry he’s left his backpack behind. Opening the door he sees his sisters miserably draped on the couch like floppy pancakes, Eliza with her walkman as she tries to drown out WingDings cries with her cassette music.

“How did it happen this time?” Harvey asks as he shuts the door.

“I accidentally dropped a pan and woke him up,” Katrina admits sadly, glancing down at the book she’s been unable to read for the past half hour.

“He’s a baby, it happens, crying is normal for them,” Harvey tells her. “And WingDings is only one baby. Imagine having three.” While it is obvious that he likes to tease his sisters he doesn’t enjoying seeing them unhappy. He feels like it’s his responsibility to say something nice to keep their spirits up when their parents are busy.

The small smile on his little sister’s face satisfies his desire and he only winces when another cry rings through the house. He’s about to head down the hall to see what he can do to help when he hears a knock at the door behind him. Peeking through the peephole of the door, Harvey’s hair stands on end when he sees tall Pan with his backpack. Swiftly opening the door, Harvey snatches the backpack and tries to slam the door closed, but Pan grabs it before he can shut the door completely.

“Dude, is that a baby crying?” Pan asks in shock.

Harvey would never curse out loud, but you can be sure he’s repeating every curse word he knows as Pan peers inside the house.

“That is a baby!” Pan shouts in surprise.

A curse escapes Harvey’s thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I left it at a cliff hanger because I could.


	5. Take a Chance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Guarders take a chance

Frantically, Harvey tries to close the door, fighting against the strength of Pan’s hold but he is an utter weakling in comparison to the large tall bunny. “It’s,” he grunts. “Just our computer,’ he lies in a huff. “It’s been . . . acting up lately.”

“That is not a computer, I know a baby when I hear it,” Pan says and flings the door open stepping inside. “Have you wrapped it up tightly? That sometime helps. Or singing.”

“Pan,” Harvey hisses. “You can’t, you can’t be . . . here.” He swiftly closes the door and places himself in front of Pan. “Look Pan, I, you. . .” Clawing at his tight red hair he tries to think of a way to salvage this but he can’t. “I’m screwed. I am so screwed.”

“Dude,” Pan puts his palms up. “What’s the deal, it’s just a baby.”

“Hi Pan,” Katrina says waving to the tall handsome bunny monster. “Harvey talks about you a lot.”

“Uh, hey, you must be Katrina,” Pan says a little awkwardly. His eyes darting between the young girl and the hall. “Harvey’s mentioned you to.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Katrina offers her hand to him which the monster politely accepts, momentarily distracted by his initial goal to help the baby.

Meanwhile, Eliza has silently stood and maneuvered around them towards the hall, where she runs into her father who has WingDings nestled against his chest. She gives him a giant ‘X’ sign with her arms, shaking her head wildly as he looks at her as if she’s lost her mind.

With a twitch of his ear, Pan swiftly turns and is shocked at the sight of a baby with a pale head held gently in Benjamin’s darker arms. “Uh,” Ben brings up one hand the shield where WingDings spine connects to his skull, the most obvious sign that he is holding a monster baby and not a human baby. “You must be Pan,” he says loudly to alert his dear wife as to what is happening. “I’d give you my hand if I could.”

“It’s no problem Mister Guarder,” Pan says respectfully. The bunny appears a little confused, but he respectfully doesn’t ask. “It’s nice to see you again sir. Looks like you got him to calm down.”

“Ah, yes, it took us a while,” Ben says as Marilyn comes up behind him.

“Hi,” Marilyn offers her hand which Pan takes. She is all smiles, appearing confident and sociable. “Thank you for bringing Harvey home tonight, we’ve had our hands full.”

“It’s no problem Misses Guarder, he’s been a great help,” Pan smiles at her and looks her in the eye. Marilyn is immediately impressed by the young man’s manners. She’s used to Sorcerer children never giving her the privilege of looking her in the eye and sneering at her when they think she won’t notice.

A knock at the door reminds everyone present that Mister Jenkins is waiting for his son to return.

“Oh, sorry, gotta go,” Pan jumps a bit and turns for the door. “It was great meeting you all and the little one.”

“Wait Pan,” Harvey grabs Pan’s arm before he can open the door. The young monster stops, surprised by the vice grip Harvey has and the shake in his voice. “You have to swear not to tell anyone.”

“What? Why dude?”

“Son?” a nervous father calls from the other side of the door.

“Coming dad,” he quickly calls before turning to Harvey for an explanation.

Harvey doesn’t know what to say. He’s only fourteen and he has no idea to fix this. He can’t fix this. A pin could drop and shatter the fragile control the young man has and it would break him.

But he isn’t expected to carry the burden.

“The sorcerer’s don’t know,” Ben reveals seriously to Pan. “This is a very unique child. If you have the time tomorrow you can come by and we will gladly explain.”

Feeling a bit of the gravity of the situation at last, Pan freezes up before slowly nodding. “I understand,” Pan says. “Till tomorrow then.”

“Thank you Pan,” Marilyn says walking forward and opening the door to meet Mister Jenkins outside and smooth things over while Ben retreats out of sight with WingDings.

Before he leaves Pan studies Harvey with a heavy dose of confusion, no doubt his early suspicions of the family being a spy twirling around in his head. With a gentle nod that Harvey prays is a good sign, Pan leaves with his father leaving the Guarder home eerily quiet.

Everyone sinks into the couches of the living space, Ben returning to join them after putting WingDings to bed.

“I- I’m so sorry,” Harvey shakes his head, pulling his hair in frustration. “I screwed up.”

“Harvey,” Marilyn reaches towards him and wraps a strong arm around his shoulders. The young man who is still mostly a child, nearly flees from her, wracked with guilt and an adrenaline he doesn’t know what to do with. “It’s okay.”

“It was going to happen,” Ben sighs. “I was hoping it would be later, but we knew we couldn’t keep it a secret forever.”

“Far better a monster finds out first than someone from the guild,” Marilyn kisses her sons head, rubbing his back in an attempt to calm him down.

“No, I messed up!” Harvey yells into his hands, hunched nearly all the way forward.

“Harvey,” Ben tries.

“I shouldn’t have left my backpack, I know better, all I had to . . .” Harvey begins to ramble and tears bead in his sister’s eyes as they watch their brother fall apart.

“HARVEY!” Ben yells, catching everyone off guard and silencing the boy instantly. A second later everyone looks to the hall and holds their breath before collectively releasing it when WingDings remains asleep.

“Son,” Ben begins more gently. “You aren’t perfect. None of us are. But what is done is done. The guilt and helplessness you are feeling right now is more punishment than you deserve.”

No one follows up after Ben speaks an uneasy silence hanging in the air until Katrina can’t stand it and breaks it. “Pan seems like a nice guy,” she says with a crack of hope in her voice.

“He does,” Marilyn agrees, putting a firm hand on Harvey’s shoulder. “He’s a fine young person.”

“So . . . what are we going to tell him?” Eliza asks.

“The truth,” Ben says.

Everyone looks at him in shock and Marilyn immediately protests. “Are you out of your mind? We can’t tell him the truth! He’ll think we stole that monster child from a crib! We’ll just use that magic amulet.”

“But he saw his head,” Ben explains. “What is he going to think if he sees a bald baby with dark black hair tomorrow?”

“Maybe he didn’t notice?” Eliza offers, evidently not believing it herself.

“And if he did notice and sees the hair he’ll for sure think we’re sorcerer spies,” Harvey scoffs.

“We don’t have a choice,” Ben tells them. “Worst case, he takes the child to the monsters. That’s far better than the Sorcerer’s taking him.”

“But he’s my brother,” Katrina says putting a hand on her father’s knee, her large eyes imploring him to change fate and move mountains like she believes he can.

“I know Kat and we will do everything in our power to make sure he stays, but it’s out of our control,” he kisses her head. “Mom and I will take care of it.”

Pressing her lips firmly, Katrina nods and from there everyone solemnly dismisses themselves from the room. Before sleeping Harvey and his parents set up a time for Pan to come over before going to bed. No one sleeps well that night, anxiously awaiting the promised hour.

In the morning everyone is quiet which makes baby WingDings uncomfortable. The baby bones doesn’t understand what is wrong but the lack of smiling faces is enough to make him fussy and unhappy. Despite his discomfort WingDings doesn’t cry and that small smile is still on his face, instead he remains tightly curled with his fists clutched to his chest as he stares off blankly. No matter what they do they cannot put him down for a nap and charge Eliza and Katrina to watch him when there is a knock at the door.

Welcoming Pan inside, Marilyn offers the boy some food and they all get settled into the living room.

“That kid isn’t yours is it?” Pan states right off the bat.

At least they don’t have to skirt around the truth this way.

“Ah, no, it isn’t,” Ben answers. “We found him abandoned a week ago and decided to take care of him. He has very powerful magical abilities but is physically weak.”

“Why didn’t you turn him over to the police?” Pan asks.

“We considered it,” Marilyn speaks up. “But that would have been the same as handing him over to the S.G.”

“But aren’t you sorcerer’s?” Pan asks, padded palm forward and looking between the parents as if it should be obvious. “Why wouldn’t you bring it to their attention?”

“. . . We don’t really like them all that much,” Harvey speaks up.

“I kinda gathered that actually,” Pan lifts a fluffy brow at his new friend.

“If we gave him to the sorcerer’s they would do terrible things to him,” Ben says, his wife and son looking at him expectantly now. This is it. The real reason they are keeping WingDings a secret. A secret from the guild . . . and a secret from monsters.

When Ben takes too long to say the inevitable Pan picks up on it. “Why would they?” Pan asks not understanding why a sorcerer might do horrible things to a harmless vulnerable baby. “I mean I’ve been taught since birth how awful they are but that’s because I’m a monster. You shouldn’t have anything to fear from them.”

“If only that were true,” Marilyn smiles solemnly.

“Out with it then,” Pan says, hopping a bit and wincing at the squeak in his voice. “I mean that IS why you brought me right?”

“Can we trust you?” Harvey asks. “We just met and . . . I like to think I can trust you but . . .” Harvey looks at his parents for guidance and he gets it in their proud eyes and small smiles. “We really don’t want anything bad to happen to WingDings.”

“I don’t either,” Pan says easily. “I’m a monster. My soul is made of love, mercy, and compassion. I’m not about to change that trend.”

“And we’re made of kindness,” Ben assures Pan. “And it is that very kindness that has led us to raise a monster baby that was left on this very couch.”

Slowly Pan’s eyes go wide and his mouth is slightly agape. He spins on Harvey in disbelief. “You can’t be serious,” he says.

“We are very serious,” Harvey answers for his family.

“Then he should be raised by monsters,” Pan says immediately. The family shifts uncomfortable and Pan tries to recover from his insult. “Well I guess I was right about the spying thing, but this is a better reason for spying on babies and actually makes way more sense. But still. I mean, sure you’re good people, but it would be better for the baby if Monsters had him right? What kind of monster is he?”

“Skeleton,” Harvey answers before Ben and Marilyn can.

Again Pan looks at him in disbelief, if it’s not one thing it’s another with this guy. “Dude,” Pan says.

“I’m not lying? Why would I?” Harvey quickly says, waving his hands a bit to emphasize his feelings on the matter.

“Because Skeleton monsters don’t exist,” Pan says.

“Actually they do,” Katrina corrects from the hall. Eliza walks forward with WingDings in her arms, Katrina just a step behind her.

“Kat!” Marilyn warns her daughter. Katrina and Eliza step back to leave but Marilyn raises her hand and motions for them to come forward. Quickest way to convince Pan of a skeletal monsters existence is to show him WingDings. It isn’t ideal but it will certainly answer Pans question fastest. “Sorry, you can come in and show Pan the baby.”

“Would you like to hold him?” Katrina automatically offers as she swings by him on his left.

“Uh, sure?” he says, reaching forward to take the child from Eliza. Immediately WingDings eye lights grow extremely large as he looks at the young man. At first the baby doesn’t know what to do, but he glances back at Katrina who is moving away and steadily becomes stiff, fisting his hands and breathing a little faster. He doesn’t cry or whimper but he’d rather be held by Katrina or Eliza right now. With a wobbly hand WingDings makes a sign, rapidly pinching his thumb against two fingers in a sign for ‘no’.

“Guess he doesn’t like me much,” Pan laughs as he hands WingDings to Marilyn who is already reaching towards the baby. “But what makes you say it’s . . .”

Before he can finish asking, Marilyn unzips the front of WingDings onesie earning a giggle from the baby and wide eyes with straight upright ears from Pan.

“He’s the only skeletal monster I’ve ever seen,” Pan says in shock.

“That’s because he is the only one and they thrive completely off magic,” Ben answers. “Raiding the guilds library I learned that these monsters were nearly as powerful as human mages in terms of magic, but they lacked physically stability. Part of the reason their magic was so strong was simply to keep themselves alive. They could live for hundreds of years, but were hunted and killed off in the Second War.”

“So . . . how is he here?” Pan points at the baby who curls his feet.

“Poof!” Eliza answers.

“Poof?” Pan copies.

“He appeared on the couch out of nowhere,” Katrina says confidently, since she was there at the time.

“Dude, I’m pretty sure that isn’t how babies are made,” Pan says. “Even skeleton babies.”

“Yes, but it happened,” Marilyn quickly interrupts before her daughters get the bright idea to investigate how babies are really made.

“Well from what I can tell he’s already bonded with you guys and since he needs so much magic it’s probably best he’s with human sorcerers anyway,” Pan admits. He’s just a boy and doesn’t understand everything, but he’d taken care of a lot of babies and knows quite a lot about the health and care of monster infants.

Everyone sighs in relief, Ben and Harvey sagging into the couch cushions, all pretence of composure gone. WingDings blinks once and a hand appears close by spinning around until it runs into the wall and falls to the floor with a clatter.

When no one draws attention to the magic hand the monster brings it up. “Does that happen a lot?” Pan asks.

“Oh yeah,” Katrina says eagerly. “Once one of WingDings hands landed in Dad’s coffee and another time we found it in the freezer. Even the toilet! It was so gross.”

“They disappear after a while,” Marilyn quickly explains, shooting ‘the look’ at her daughter. Her little girl blushes a bit and bites her lower lip, but her eyes are still twinkling with mischief.

“Is it okay if I tell my family?” Pan asks.

“. . . Well . . . if you think they’ll understand our circumstances,” Ben says.

“They will,” Pan says confidently. “You’re gunna need some help right? Especially hiding this from the S.G.”

“It would be nice if we could get a crib for WingDings,” Eliza admits.

“He doesn’t have a crib?!” Pan says, sitting straight up and ears tilted towards her.

“And we only have two bottles,” Katrina adds unaware of the shame her parents are exhibiting at this reveal.

“Yeah, I’m calling it like I see it,” Pan says shaking his head. “And I’m only fourteen, you need more support. It takes a lot of people to take care of a family.”

“Especially your family,” Harvey grins earning a glare from Pan. “I mean, because it’s so large.”

“Dude, if we weren’t friends I’d make you give me that money my folks have been gifting you for helping out,” Pan jokes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now the Guarders will have more support which was something they really needed. I really like the interaction this family has and the agency of the young people in it. I don’t really have the chance to do stuff like this in the other WingDings stories I’ve written.


	6. A Knock at the Door

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Spoilers** to the rest of the series if you haven’t read it yet. The only stories really necessary for plot is ‘First Steps’ and ‘Change of View’, at least up to chapter 8. Warning for minor peril in this chapter.

After the Guarders conversation with Pan comes to a close, the tension in the room is finally overcome and they begin making plans. The Guarder family wants to have the Jenkins over for dinner this coming week so they can explain the situation themselves. It isn’t that they don’t trust Pan, but he is only fourteen and it is a lot of pressure to put on his shoulders. He could handle it, but he doesn’t have too.

While Pan and Harvey watch the triplets and other members of the family, Mister and Misses Jenkins come over for dinner Tuesday night. The meeting goes more or less the same as it did with their son, which makes sense considering they’re raising him. Only difference is they lose track of time and end up staying later than originally intended.

By the following day, the Jenkins’ have managed to smuggle a crib and baby tub into the house along with several monster food formulas and bottles. That night is the first night they actually bathe WingDings properly and lucky for them he takes well to it, splashing his hands in the water and beeping in delight. When Marilyn looks at the bath water she realizes her mistake in waiting this long.

“Oh WingDings,” she picks him up and swaddles him in a towel. “Who knew how dirty you could get just hanging around me all day.” Kissing his head, Marilyn sits in her room and very carefully dries his bones, worried she might accidentally break off a rib if she isn’t careful.

Instead of the worse happening though WingDings is soon all giggles and laughs, squirming happily in her arms. Smiling fondly, Marilyn puts her mouth to his skull and does something she used to do with her children when they were young. She blows a raspberry.

She is a bit out of practice and it falls a little flat against his wet skull, but it still sounds like a fart.

Shocked, WingDings stops giggling and stares up in confusion. He has heard this sound before although it has been a while. A second later he squeals with delight reaching for her face with grabby hands.

Marilyn laughs with him and repeats the silly sound against his skull earning her another high shriek of delight from the child. The sound is a little deafening and ear splitting but she can handle it. For her it’s enough knowing that WingDings is happy and healthy in her arms.

She keeps at it for a while, with WingDings signing ‘more’ several times, before they both tucker out. WingDings falls asleep easily as she cranks the music box they’ve placed beside his new crib.

“He’s got a funny bone,” Ben comments as he and his wife look down fondly at the sleeping baby. 

“If you ask me he has more than one,” Marilyn says and moves to walk away but she is stopped when Ben wraps his arms around her from behind and holds her close. At first she tries to step away simply because she has her next task on her mind, but she stops and relaxes against him.

“I love you,” he whispers in her ear. There is so much to be said, gratefulness expressed with his gentle touch and those three heartfelt words. He is amazed by her strength and thankful for her support. He doesn’t know how he managed to find such a wonderful person.

A soft smile tips her lips and she reaches up to hold one of his hands. They have been so busy, but even through the arguments and late nights she now firmly believes they made the right decision. That she made the right decision. She wouldn’t have it any other way. “I love you too,” she says, lifting his hand and kissing it gently. There is not a man out there with a heart as large as his and even though he gives so much of it to their children and others he always has plenty for her.

In the morning as everyone is getting ready for the day, Marilyn is holding WingDings who in turn is clutching Harvey’s baby doll and gumming its arm. “WingDings,” Marilyn says and he turns at the sound of her voice, peering up at her and freezing his sucking on the doll. Somehow the baby understands that he’s been caught doing something he shouldn’t. “That isn’t yours.”

He doesn’t understand her but as soon as her other arm reaches around towards the doll he clutches it closer, his eye lights flicking between his surrogate mother and his surrogate teething ring. Tightening his body around the doll possessively WingDings buzzes as he watches her hand get nearer, his bones rattling in agitation. Marilyn is undeterred and takes a firm hold of the doll even as WingDings eyes flash red.

“We should stop giving you this doll,” Marilyn sighs as she firmly but gently pries the doll from WingDings. As is to be expected the baby cries out, grabbing towards the doll, red like veins or cracks, glowing around his eyes and fingers. Several magic hands poof into existence shaking and twirling wildly as WingDings cries. 

“Harvey,” Marilyn holds up the doll.

Wincing as he walks closer, Harvey keeps his head as far away from the screaming WingDings as he can manage as he plucks the doll from his mom’s hand.

“He reeeeeaaaaaaalllly wants that doll,” Katrina says finishing up her bowl of cereal.

“It fills him with determination,” Eliza confirms as WingDings wails.

“And it fills his lungs with plenty of air too,” Ben chuckles, kissing his wife before heading for the door.

“But he’s a skeleton,” Harvey says, glancing back at WingDings. “Does he even have lungs?”

“Well he breathes,” Katrina says, smiling proudly at her observation.

“Yeah, but is he breathing air necessarily?” Harvey says. “What if he breathes in something else like magic . . .” his voice trails off as Ben shuts the door, smiling at hearing his son’s theories.

Five minutes later WingDings has calmed down and is napping in the sling around Marilyn. The plan is to smuggle a carrier over in the next several days, but until then the makeshift sling will have to do. As WingDings drifts between wakefulness and sleep, the doorbell rings. Sighing at the inconvenience of it Marilyn glances at the clock. It’s nearly eleven in the morning and she isn’t expecting anyone.

Not making a sound she walks to the door and peeks through the peep hole. Her breath is stolen away when she sees members of the guild at the door step. Feeling her heart march up her throat, Marilyn has enough time to activate the magic stone on WingDings before they ring the doorbell again. Racing towards the kitchen, Marilyn quickly pages her husband as one of the sorcerer’s call for her at the door.

“Misses Guarder, we know you’re home, please open the door for us,” a male voice calls, it sounds like Mister Jerome. In her arms WingDings squirms, jostled from his sleep. “We’re here on business.”

Apologizing softly, she grabs a coat, wraps him up and gently hides him in the coat closet, careful to turn on the light so he doesn’t wake in the dark. “I’m coming,” she calls, putting a binky in WingDings mouth before closing the door.

Shaking like a leaf, she takes a slow careful breath before opening the door, putting a strong smile on her face to greet the unwelcomed guests at her door. It is indeed Mister Jerome and his newest lackey who she hasn’t yet had the pleasure of meeting. “Sir Jerome, what a surprise,” Marilyn says, forced to step aside when they march into the room, instantly igniting her inner fire. “What is the meaning of this!?”

“We have reason to believe that your family is keeping secrets,” Mister Jerome claims as his lackey steps in front of her, successfully pinning her to the wall without touching her.

“Secrets? Every family has secrets, now get out of my house!” Marilyn yells at him, clenching her hands into tight fists. “You can’t just barge in here. Not without a warrant.”

“This is S.G. business so I have every right to be here,” Mister Jerome first searches the living room peeking under the couches before wandering into the kitchen.

“Like hell you do!” Marilyn barrels past the lackey, undeterred as she marches up to David Jerome. “Get out of my house! I’m not under the guild and I say I have no business with you.”

A bright ping sound grips her and she feels something tighten in her chest. Eyes wide, she can do nothing as her body slides across the floor out of the room and onto the couch, unable to speak or move against him. It’s like ice, sharp ice prickling her soul and moving her against her will as she defiantly wrestles against the feeling. Once she is tossed onto the couch she can move again, but the lackey is there to keep her pined with his own blue magic.

She hears Jerome rummage through the kitchen before opening the closet and finding what he seeks. With a cry WingDings is picked up and hastily carried out of the kitchen. “We have what we came for,” the man states as he motions for his silent partner to follow.

Marilyn’s mind goes blanks and a spark ignites into a blazing flame within her soul as she watches that horrible man walk smugly towards the door with her baby wailing in his arms. Enraged at the sight and filled with determination, Marilyn screams bloody murder and breaks the sorcerer’s hold on her soul. Without thinking she launches herself at Jerome, knocking him to the floor and reaching for WingDings.

With burning red eyes WingDings screeches, making everyone’s ear drums bleed before he is cut off abruptly when the man grips him tighter.

In a flash of light that Marilyn doesn’t understand the world around her brightens painfully. She blinks, still clutching her baby until she realizes that he isn’t screaming and that she cannot move. In fact no one is moving. Her eyes dance around her stationary head and everything appears like glass, sparkling and sharp as if it is about to break.

Slowly two words appear in front of her. One reads ‘Continue’ and the other reads ‘Load’. She has no idea what it is, but she knows that she doesn’t want this nightmare to continue and finds herself slowly reaching for the ‘Load’ word, the eyes of Jerome following her movements.

But the sorcerer can do nothing. He can only watch as the most powerful magic in the world is utilized right before his very eyes.

All at once Marilyn is back sitting at the kitchen table, her hand clasped around Harvey’s doll and in mid-motion of removing it from WingDings. As if hit by lightning WingDings’ screams stop and so does Marilyn’s hand. Holding in a breath, Marilyn snaps down to look at the baby who has suddenly lost all interest in the doll. Screaming anew, WingDings reaches for her desperately, dropping the doll completely. She gladly gives in to his request to be held tight, in fact she isn’t going to be letting go of him anytime soon.

“Wow, he dropped it,” Katrina says immediately standing to pick it up without being asked. “I thought he liked it more than Harvey did.”

“That’s because WingDings does love it more than me,” Harvey replies, taking the doll from his sister and stuffing it into his bag. “Although it is about to get me a well earned ‘A+’.”

Bobbing the baby up and down, Marilyn tries to grasp what has happened. Did she just dream all of that up? No it couldn’t be. That was real! Quickly she looks at the clock which boldly reads seven twenty-eight in the morning. How she would love to argue with that clock, but she can’t, even though she now realizes that time isn’t quite as finite as she once thought.

“Marilyn?” Ben stands and moves to stand beside her. “Is something wrong?”

“I . . . I don’t know. I mean, everything is fine. I’m fine . . . at least now I am,” she says trailing off.

Sensing something amiss even as WingDings calms down, the family stops their rush to leave and waits for Marilyn to get her bearings. “Ben dear,” Marilyn eventually starts. “Can . . . you drop me off at the Bakers house, I . . . don’t want to be alone.”

“But . . . the baby,” Ben starts.

“Amy is my best friend I think we can trust her,” Marilyn says, standing and grabbing a bag from the closet. “I won’t be long.” Grabbing some baby food, formula, blankets, teething rings and the music box, Marilyn climbs into the back of the van holding WingDings. Normally she would be dead against not using a proper car seat but she is NOT staying at the house.

Not when their are sorcerers possibly watching.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Marilyn so much and I typically make a point of never falling in love with my oc’s since they have a tendency to get killed off. And no don’t worry no one is going to die, they really can’t.


	7. Determined to Continue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marilyn regains control

They drop Marilyn off at her friends, the Bakers, first, but before she leaves she whispers to her husband. “Research determination,” she tells him seriously. “See if it has the power to turn back time.” The look her husband gives her is priceless, instead of a look that says ‘Oh no, I’ve married a mad women’ his gaze says ‘what did I miss and are you okay?’

“Marilyn what happened?” he demands, a hand coming forward to support the hand she is using to keep WingDings close. “Are you really okay.” Reaching forward he cups the side of her face with his free hand, trying to read her mind and understand.

“It’s best you get to work Ben,” she turns her head and kisses his hand. “I’ll be fine.”

Despite desperately wishing for Marilyn to speak with him, Ben nods in understanding, trusting her judgment and letting her go.

As she turns towards the Baker’s house the door opens revealing a shocked Amy as she expectantly waits at the door. Marilyn doesn’t hesitate to let Amy hold WingDings as she swiftly closes the door behind them and drops her bag. She embraces Amy tightly causing WingDings to giggle and buzz. Now that the danger has passed he is a happy baby, for all he knows the events with the sorcerer were all just a bad dream.

If only it was.

“What a cutie pie, but he obviously isn’t yours?” Amy says handing WingDings back to his surrogate mother. It is obvious to Amy that this pale dark haired boy couldn’t possibly belong to the red headed Marilyn or the darker complexion of Ben.

Yes, Marilyn is choosing to use the amulet to disguise WingDings. Doing so should protect her dear friend from the truth now that Marilyn knows the guild is onto them. While it can be argued that she is putting her friend in danger by even coming to visit, Marilyn suspects that if Jerome remembers what happened he won’t come knocking at a civilian’s door.

“He was abandoned,” Marilyn tells her sadly. “We found him at our doorstep of all things. And . . .”

Amy puts a hand on her friends arm and guides her to the couch. “Sit down,” she insists. “You’re working yourself up I can tell, don’t you lie to me. I’ll get us something warm to drink.”

“You know what I like,” Marilyn smiles sadly, but accepts the seat. She lays WingDings blanket out on the floor and puts a few of his toys out on it for him. WingDings lays happily on his front, reaching for the teething ring and putting it in his mouth.

When Amy returns with some tea, Marilyn tells Amy what has been happening the last two weeks. The only details she omits is that WingDings is a monster, but she even tells her about how the S.G. came into her own home and nearly took WingDings away. Despite how outlandish time travel sounds Amy is a true friend and doesn’t question it.

“Those S.G. scum!” Amy pounds the arm rest nearly waking WingDings who is now asleep against Marilyn’s shoulder. She winces and offers a soft apology as Marilyn shakes her head. There is nothing to worry about, once WingDings is asleep, he sleeps soundly.

Marilyn feels a lot better talking about her harrowing experience from that morning. Or the morning that could have been. It isn’t even ten yet so can she even claim it happened!? Tears prick her eyes and the strong woman succumbs to a long overdue build up of emotions. She’s typically the logical one in the family so emotional outbursts are rare from her.

Recognizing this, Amy stands and sits beside her on the couch, wrapping an arm around her free shoulder and hugging her close. “Have you told Ben yet?” she asks.

Marilyn shakes her head. “It was best he go straight to work,” she whispers, managing to get the words out. “Otherwise the guild might have done something reckless. At least this way they’ll know we aren’t trying to fight them.”

“You don’t think they’ll confront him though?” Amy says with concern.

“I don’t think so, when they see his bewildered face they won’t press the matter,” Marilyn smiles and wipes her eyes with her free hand. “He doesn’t know it, but that’s another great quality about him. He’s so honest. It’s a miracle they didn’t find out sooner.”

“Well if you need anything at all, you let me know,” Amy says. “I don’t know what I can do about the guild, but I can certainly look after WingDings when I’m not working.”

“Oh my gosh I forgot about the book store,” Marilyn jumps, almost waking WingDings, but true to form he doesn’t wake.

Amy waves a hand. “Hanks got it covered,” she tells her. “This is much more important.”

“Thank you so much,” Marilyn almost starts crying again. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner.”

“You were doing what was best for this precious bundle,” Amy pets his dark hair, smiling fondly. “In the mean time, now that the cat is out of the bag so to speak, we should go shopping for some baby supplies, like a car seat.”

“I don’t think I should go out in public with him just yet,” Marilyn says sensibly.

“Oh Mary, you are such an old fogey sometimes,” Amy laughs, standing and patting her shoulder fondly. “There is such thing as shopping online. Who cares if I won’t be able to use the phone for an hour or two.”

Eyes wide, Marilyn is shocked at first but then laughs. While it is true they’ve been avoiding the internet for fear of being watched, even if they weren’t she probably wouldn’t have thought of using it to shop since dial up is so slow. “Sounds practical, but before you unplug for the internet I’m going to call the Jenkins family and let them know what’s happened,” she says walking to the landline phone in the kitchen.

“Going to tell them about the time traveling too?” Amy asks.

“. . . I suppose they wouldn’t believe me,” she lowers the phone momentarily. “But I should warn them about the S.G. I’d hate for something to happen to them because of us.”

While Amy goes and fires up the desktop Marilyn gets a hold of Stacy and without giving away how it exactly happened, tells her about the S.G. knowing about WingDings their unauthorized ‘human’ child. Stacy gets the message and thanks her for the warning. They both agree it might be best if their families for now don’t see each other. It’s disheartening, but Marilyn hopes they can change that soon.

For the rest of the afternoon the women go on a shopping spree and talk about life. The S.G. never calls or shows up and around dinner time Amy has the entire family over and feeds them takeout pizza. Marilyn isn’t a fan of pizza, believing it’s incredibly unhealthy, but it’s the perfect food to relax with. They learn that Ben was never confronted about anything at work and the children weren’t either. When Ben asks what happened that morning, she tells them to wait till they’re home.

That night in the relative safety of their living room she tells them what happened that morning.

“I read about that,” Ben says, pulling out a molding book. “Back during the World Wars there were some humans who could turn back time when they died. Only human souls with pure determination could do this.”

“But WingDings didn’t die,” Marilyn says, holding the baby tightly. WingDings looks up at her before gumming at his hand. Without looking down she picks up his chew toy and puts it in his mouth.

“Was it the stress?” Harvey asks.

“Yeah, Stacy said stress can kill them,” Eliza speaks up.

“Either way he activated that ability when they tried to take him,” Ben confirms. “Although, according to this book, the ability gives the victim the power to ‘Continue’ or ‘Reset’. Are you sure it said ‘Load’?”

“I’m positive, otherwise I wouldn’t have been plopped back at the kitchen table now would I,” Marilyn states logically. “If we ‘reset’ I’d be reliving the last two weeks when WingDings first arrived I imagine.”

“Or when WingDings was born,” Harvey suggests.

Marilyn is relieved that she only had to relive about four hours, those four hours were torturous enough without being forced to relive two weeks let alone four months!

“It’s been a very long day and life isn’t stopping for us,” Marilyn says handing WingDings to her husband so he can give the baby his magic intake for the day. “Even if we have time on our side, I never want to put that kind of stress on the baby again.”

Ben nods his agreement and Marilyn encourages the kids to prepare for bed. Looking over at her husband she can tell he’s sad, staring forward lost in his thoughts as WingDings buzzes and coos comfortably. Quietly, as to not disturb his thoughts, Marilyn comes to sit beside her husband and waits for him to speak.

“I was so worried about you . . . when I dropped you off,” he tells her softly, like the words might be taken from him if he speaks too loudly. “I knew something was wrong and I hated not knowing. Couldn’t you have told me?” The look in his eyes as he gazes at her is full of regret and hurt. It in turn twirls the uncomfortable coil of doubt through Marilyn, regretting not telling him and assuming he’d be all right.

“I’m sorry Ben,” she says honestly, putting a hand to his cheek before wrapping an arm around his shoulders and holding him close. “I knew you would trust me.”

“I did,” Ben says softly. “I do, but it still . . . weighs heavy on my soul.”

She brings him closer, pushing her head into the crook of his neck and kissing the top of WingDings head. “We’ll get through this,” she assures him. “I know it.”

“I envy you’re determination,” he says, shifting WingDings into his other arm so he can reach around his wife, her red curls ticking his finger.

“I have plenty to give,” she says. A promise she will keep.

Compared to the rough start to the week, the remainder of the week is eerily normal. Aside from the loss of meeting with the Jenkins family and growing rumors of a new baby in the Guarder family, everything else returns to their new routine.

“Is it true that you have a baby brother?” one of the young sorcerer students, Anna, asks the Guarder sisters.

“Yes and he’s super cute,” Katrina eagerly answers.

“Told you it’s true,” Anna calls back to the other girls. This encourages the small clique to come closer.

“Is it true you’re dad had an affair?” one of the other girls says, Rachel.

“Uh, no, he didn’t,” Eliza answers, narrowing her eyes at the other girl.

“Then where did he come from?” the youngest girl, Susan asks.

“He was left on our doorstep and we felt sorry for him,” Katrina answers easily. “I’m the one who found him.”

“Why didn’t you tell the Guild?” Teresa asks. She’s the oldest in their age bracket, making her more aware then her younger counterparts what’s at stake.

“Because we thought they’d take him away,” Katrina says, earning a warning look from her older sister. Instead of encouraging the young sibling to be quiet it makes her say more. “He has a determination soul.”

“WHAT!” Susan shouts.

“No way!” Rachel gasps.

“I don’t believe you,” Teresa laces her arms over her chest, putting all her weight on one hip as she scrutinizes the two.

“It’s the truth,” Katrina says defensively, ready to say more until her sister opens her mouth for once.

“The Guild Master’s know about the baby and will be visiting us in coming weeks,” Eliza informs the girls stoically. “To be sure we are the right family for him, and paper work stuff. If you want to know more, you’re parents can tell you, com’on Katrina.”

As Eliza walks away Katrina doesn’t hesitate to follow. It’s only after the fact that any guilt hits the younger sister for talking too much. Rather than bring it up though she keeps it to herself and Eliza doesn’t say anything about it either. Instead Katrina asks a question.

“So they’ll be visiting?” she asks timidly, all her spunk having left her.

“I heard our teacher talking with Mister Jerome before class,” Eliza says.

“I don’t like Mister Jerome,” Katrina mumbles.

“I don’t either,” Eliza agrees. “He told Mister Glen to keep an eye on us and report to him anything ‘suspicious’.” She uses air quotes and Katrina wrinkles her nose.

“You think mom and dad know?” Katrina asks and her sister can only shrug.

That night around the dinner table Ben tells his kids about the investigation of their family that will be taking place for the next two weeks. “Just be yourselves,” he tells them. “We have nothing to hide now.”

“Except WingDings isn’t a real human boy,” Harvey says under his breath.

“Except that,” Ben admits.

“What about the magic hands?” Eliza asks.

“And the magic bones,” Katrina adds.

“We’ll hide them in the bread basket when any pop up,” Marilyn answers calmly. “They’ll be more focused on WingDings then anything else. And Ben we’re going to need to buy diapers.”

“But he doesn’t wear them,” Harvey blurts.

“He’ll have to wear them if he’s supposed to be human,” Marilyn explains.

“But they’re expensive,” Ben groans, before saying more seriously. “And what if it hurts him.”

Marilyn is not amused with her husband’s excuses, but their wallet is already feeling a bit of strain from buying expensive monster formulas. She really doesn’t know how monsters are able to keep having kids if they have to buy all these specialty brands. “We’ll buy cloth diapers then.”

“Brilliant idea Marilyn,” Ben sits straight up from where he was once sagging. No longer would their funds be in jeopardy.

“Point is, we have this under control, be your polite clever selves and everything will be fine,” Marilyn assures them. She is ready to face this new challenge, she can see it in front of her and make a plan. They will be ready this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it wasn’t obvious this story takes place in the late 1990’s. If this world were like ours at least, so the technology isn’t nearly as efficient as it is now. Also, again, I favor Marilyn, but I love Ben too and I hope it shows. Also, also, Amy is the name my brain automatically fills in for y/n fanfiction, so that’s who she is based on.


	8. The Pleasure is All Yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jerome returns for a second visit.

The very next day, on a Saturday, the very face of evil dares to show up again at their front doorstep. Thankfully Ben is home to open the door to Mister David Jerome, because there is no way in this century Marilyn is ever going to open the door to that investigator ever again.

“Good morning Jerome Sir, we were expecting you,” Ben greets him, stepping aside to allow the man into their home.

Instead of wearing his stiff business attire, Mister Jerome is dressed down. As dressed down as he can tolerate, wearing beige slacks and a solid white button up shirt. He eyes the home critically and after finding nothing amiss sneers in disappointment.

“Would you like some tea sir?” Ben asks as he guides the man to the couch.

“No, this won’t take long,” Mister Jerome insists as he complies with Ben’s invitation and takes a seat. “I merely wish to see the child and get his basic stats so we can finish the Identification Process.”

“Of course sir,” Ben says all smiles, but as soon as he turns around his smile droops into a solemn frown. “Marilyn, please bring WingDings out.”

“WingDings?” Mister Jerome turns around in the couch, looking at Ben as if he’s lost his mind. It would be more of an insult if he didn’t throw out that look to every person he met.

“Yes sir, that is the name we found on his baby blanket,” Ben answers dutifully.

Standing proud and strong Marilyn strides down the hall and into the room, not even bothering to hide her sneer at the man sitting on her green couch.

“A pleasure as always Mrs. Guarder,” Mister Jerome greets her politely with a calculating look, focusing on her in a most unpleasant manner.

“The pleasure is all yours,” Marilyn answers holding her head high as she walks around and sits on the matching love seat beside the couch.

“I’m going to have to hold the baby to check his states,” Mister Jerome tells her, forced to stand and move closer to her.

“You’ll have to do it while either me or my husband hold him,” Marilyn insists, holding the bundle tighter.

Softly, WingDings buzzes and coos as her tight hold shifts around him, waking him from his nap. When he sees her the baby immediately reaches for her face wishing to get her attention.

“Is that sound coming from him?” Mister Jerome asks, alerting the baby to his presence.

As soon as WingDings sees Jerome’s face the response is immediate. Tightening his fists the baby’s once yellow eyes flare red and his breathing quickens. He doesn’t cry out but the smile that never leaves his face is gone, replaced with a tight almost painful grimace.

“Hello little one,” Mister Jerome tells the child, smiling at the babe with false happiness. Now, it should be said that smiles do not belong on Mister Jerome’s face. A sneer or smug tip of his lips maybe, but a smile looks more out of place on his face than finding a monster taking lessons with the S.G.

As soon as WingDings sees the ‘smile’ he turns his head, hiding his face from the man.

“Shy thing isn’t he?” Mister Jerome chuckles forcibly. 

Marilyn’s only reply is a glare.

“You may hold him then,” Mister Jerome finally concedes. “Loosen his shirt so I might look at his soul.”

Since WingDings soul is human, Marilyn and Ben aren’t concerned with the request and the redhead mother does as she is asked. With steady hands Jerome brings out WingDings soul and immediately a screaming cry fills the air. To Jerome’s credit he doesn’t look away from the strange red soul as he commits the stats and information to memory.

WingDings Gaster  
LV: 1  
HP: 6  
AT: 6  
DF: 6  
Wants the evil man to go away.

Little does Jerome know that if he’d just look up he’d see a room filled with magic hands and bones. Taking this as their cue the three Guarder children zoom from their hiding places snatching the hands and bones wherever they might appear.

“He is quite healthy,” Mister Jerome has to shout over WingDings cries as he returns the soul to it’s proper place. By the time he looks up the only surprising thing he sees is Katrina, Eliza, and Harvey standing in the entryway with plastered smiles on their faces. The inspector looks at the children critically before rationalizing that this is nothing of importance and turns back to Ben. “That is all I needed. He’s evidently bonded with your family, so unless his birth family is found I imagine the Guild will expect you to care for him.”

“Does this mean you won’t be sending observers,” Ben asks hopefully.

“That is for the headmaster and Council of Seven to decide, but personally I’d rather keep him here,” Mister Jerome replies. “Where he’s less likely to cause time anomalies.”

Ben goes a little pale but manages to answer. “Of course sir.”

“Until Monday Mister Guarder,” Mister Jerome stands from the couch and escorts himself towards the door, but he doesn’t leave, not before looking at the three Guarder children. Honestly he doesn’t know what to make of their bright green eyes and twitching grins. Perturbed or annoyed by the sight, no one can say, he opens the door, not bothering to wait for someone else to do it for him. He even does them the courtesy of locking the bolt on the door with his magic as he leaves.

For roughly ten seconds after they hear Mister Jerome leave the only sound in the house is the screeching cries of WingDings and Marilyn’s whispers of comfort as she rocks him vigorously. The next sound that’s heard is from Katrina who is doing a poor job of holding back her laughter until she can’t take it anymore and falls to the ground, closely followed by Eliza and even Harvey.

Shocked and a little worried the Guarder parents stare at their children with Ben leaning forward in a debate as to what he’s suppose to do if his children have gone insane.

“It tickles!” Katrina squeals and reaches into her pants, pulling out several hands that are twitching.

Embarrassed, Eliza scrambles out of the entryway, stumbles down the hall and into her room so she can pull off clothes and remove the hands she has hidden underneath. Harvey has no shame and simply drops his pants and flips his shirt to reveal a half dozen hands and dozens more bones tucked away.

“Harvey!!” Katrina screams at him. “You can’t do that!”

“To late already did,” Harvey laughs.

“Oh my gosh!” Marilyn yells aghast as her husband laughs at the spectacle. “Ben!”

“Mom we have the best kids in the world,” Ben walks over and helps Katrina to her room so she can remove the remaining skeletal hands in privacy as Harvey shakes his pants out in the entryway.

Releasing an exaggerated sigh, Marilyn shakes her head trying to cover her blushing face with one hand on WingDings’ head. But there is a smile teasing her lips.

After WingDings calms down, the house is quiet again and the Guarder family is feeling a little better about their circumstances. What Mister Jerome told them, while somewhat disturbing, is good news in disguise. They have nothing to fear of WingDings breaking time and so count it a blessing that the Guild is treating it so seriously.

“And that was how little fairy Nora got her wings, the end,” Katrina reads the last part of her book to WingDings who is happily gnawing on his teething ring while lying on his tummy. Except he doesn’t have a tummy so more like his Ribs and Hip Bones. “Did you like it WingDings.”

Knowing that she is talking to him WingDings lifts his head and babbles at her in buzzing nonsense, dropping his teething ring from his mouth. Katrina picks it up and puts the gummy ring back in his mouth. She doesn’t really find it all that disgusting since WingDings doesn’t drool. He doesn’t have any bodily fluid at all as far as she knows, aside from maybe tears.

“Did you do this with me when I was a baby,” Katrina asks Eliza who is sitting close by, rushing to finish her homework before it gets any later.

“I was only two at the time,” Eliza answers. “Pretty sure I hated your guts. Ask Harvey.”

“Harvey did you play with me as a baby!” she shouts to her brother who is sitting at the kitchen table doing the exact same thing as Eliza. It may be the weekend but studying on a Sunday isn’t Katrina’s idea of fun.

But her teacher doesn’t believe in homework except for reading fifteen minutes a day and practicing multiplication facts.

“I was six, didn’t really want anything to do with either of you,” Harvey answers honestly.

“You just don’t remember,” Ben says coming out of the kitchen and retrieving WingDings who eagerly reaches for him. The father takes a seat beside Katrina and lays the baby onto his chest, dropping his head back against it so his nose sticks straight up to the ceiling. “He was a good big brother, took care of you when we were busy dealing with a tantrum or changing a diaper.”

“That didn’t happen,” Harvey sniffs in a chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Pretty sure it did,” Ben says, not bothering to move at all. “Just ask your mother.”

“He’s right!” she calls.

Katrina smiles and scoots closer to her dad, wrapping her arm around him and snuggling close. “I love you,” she muffles into his shirt, wiggling closer until she’s comfortable.

“Love you too, Kat,” 

The following week is a strange one. On the bright side they are able to follow their new routine without much trouble, but with the added excitement of entertaining countless sorcerers popping in unannounced. It is difficult and draining. But they have each other, which is just the right amount of people to get through it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very short chapter, probably the shortest one, but it did everything I wanted it to do, so I stopped it here. I enjoyed writing this family, it might be a little ‘to perfect’ in some areas, but I just wanted to write fluff anyway at the time.


	9. Peekaboo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A baby shower is had.

By the end of the week they not only pass the inspections, but are awarded a baby shower that will be hosted by the sorcerers in weeks to come. Marilyn has to admit she is a little excited, not only will they get what they need, but their finances will get another break. They are also allowed to invite anyone they wish and use the opportunity to open connections with the Jenkins family again. It was only about two weeks of no contact with the monsters, but it is a great relief to have their support again.

To celebrate, the adults decide to go on a double date, leaving the Guarder children with the large Jenkins family. The large family of, three triplet babies, one toddler, twin six year olds, one pre-teen and Pan. Since Mister and Misses Guarder have no fears of their children misbehaving they feel rather confident with the arrangement. Their children on the other hand feel less than sure.

After plopping WingDings down on a blanket with the triplets in a little pen, the parents take their leave promising to pay Harvey, Pan, and Pan’s tween sister Tehya for the trouble of being in charge.

“All right, I promise to pay you both some of that money if you help out tonight,” is the first thing Harvey tells his sister’s when the parents are gone.

“Really! Thanks Harvey,” Katrina says, feeling very grown up for having a little responsibility thrown her way.

“Sounds fair to me,” Eliza shrugs.

“I’ll supervise the babies,” Tehya quickly says, sitting cross-legged in the baby pen.

As she sits WingDings is briefly startled by her sudden appearance and stares up at her. Lil, JoJo and Kip are a few months older than he is and are hopping around chasing after the balls or nibbling on things. They move around the skeleton child unnoticed by him as he continues to stare up at Tehya.

She smiles at him and lowers herself onto her tummy so they are eye level. Lifting her hands she covers her face, ears down, before suddenly revealing her face with her ears bouncing up energetically. “Peekaboo,” she says before repeating the process. “Peekaboo.”

WingDings continues to stare until he recognizes the game. He smiles with an open mouth, revealing his four teeth and lifts his blanket to cover his face. Around him the three bunny monsters look at him, waiting with wide eyes when he lowers the blanket suddenly making a chirping sound.

The triplets giggle and jump in place waiting for him to do it again.

He doesn’t disappoint and does so again, and again, and again, smiling and beeping happily.

“Huh,” Tehya hums in confusion before she smiles in approval. “You sure he’s four months old?”

“Yeah, that’s what his stats say,” Harvey tells her from close by. He’s occupying the twins with a board game. “Why?”

“The triplets just learned how to do Peekaboo on their own,” Tehya reveals.

“Really, Kat does it with him all the time,” Harvey shrugs.

“Except he won’t use his hands for some reason,” Katrina says, shifting to her knees as she waits as patiently as she can for her turn. She’s only three spaces from landing on the roll again space.

“Hmm,” Tehya turns back to the baby and sees that WingDings is still at it, the triplets beginning to show signs of losing interest.

Hoping to keep them busy Tehya brings out a classic baby toy. The one where they put shapes through the proper matching holes on a cube. When WingDings sees it he gets really excited, bobbing up and down. Tehya places the pieces close to him so can easily reach them and is once again surprised when he immediately locates the circle piece and tries to put it through his hand.

For a second Tehya’s soul tries to scramble out her throat, fearing the piece will get stuck in the delicate boneless circle of WingDings palm. Lucky for her, the designer of this toy made the circle piece too big to fit through WingDings small palm so no harm is done. As Tehya sighs in relief, WingDings pouts, buzzing in disappointment before grabbing the cube and placing the circle piece in the correct spot on the first try.

Rather than bring up his strangeness again to the others, Tehya merely starts the process of bringing out every baby toy they own and testing WingDings. The triplets are thrilled to have so many toys with them in the pen and WingDings is too, seeking out the more puzzle like toys as every good monster would do.

By the end of Tehya’s little experiment she has deduced that WingDings must have seen these types of toys before, which doesn’t make much sense. After all, the Guarder family doesn’t have many baby toys so either this baby is really smart or they had a family before this point.

“I think he’s had a family before,” Tehya says softly, earning an almost glare from her elder brother. Pan knows how much WingDings means to the Guarder's and Tehya does to, but it’s still important so she can’t keep her mouth shut about it.

“Why do you say that?” Katrina asks, brows already furrowing down to show she doesn’t like the direction this conversation is going.

“He’s seen these toys before, but I know you don’t have them, so he must have had a family before who did have them,” Tehya replies undaunted.

Before Katrina can get upset, Harvey speaks up. “Maybe, but they aren’t around anymore,” he says.

“That’s right,” Katrina nods. Since her brother has said that WingDings family isn’t around then it has to be true, just because he said it.

Finally getting the idea that this isn’t something she should be talking about Tehya keeps her other thoughts to herself, she honestly doesn’t want WingDings to disappear and she likes the Guarder family. The pre-teen continues to play with the babies, hoping some of WingDings smarts will rub off on the triplets.

When the parents arrive late that night the babies and youngest children are fast asleep, so as punishment for being so late Ben is forced to carry his eight year old daughter to the car and strap her in. As soon as WingDings is put in his car seat he reaches for Ben, fussing and making grabby hands. Unable to deny the little guy, Ben picks him up and shares his magic with the babe on the way home. Looking around at his family in the back seat, blurry eyed and happy, Ben feels like the luckiest man alive to have all this within his reach. The exhaustion and sacrifices are well worth it.

The following week is chaotic, but in a good way Marilyn claims vehemently. They are all fine, thank you very much! Suddenly the sorcerers want to give her a baby shower and she is taking advantage of their willingness. She doesn’t hold back on the baby wish list and revels in not lifting a finger to decorate or prepare refreshments. On the day of the baby shower, the sorcerer families they know best are at the party, along with those they don’t unfortunately. Luckily, Amy and the Jenkins are there, so that’s more than enough to ease most of her trepidation.

The Jenkins are really their backup squad of support and have an important mission. For the entire party they and the Guarder children are tasked with keeping any wandering WingDings magic apparitions hidden from the rest of the guests.

As Marilyn and Ben get dressed in their very best, Marilyn fights the urge to doubt the wisdom of going through with this baby shower. If the sorcerers find out WingDings is a skeleton, they’ll be excommunicated from the guild and worse they’ll try to take WingDings away.

“Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” Marilyn confides with Ben as she dresses her dark haired baby boy who buzzes and chirps happily at her, trying to carry a conversation with her.

“Everything will be fine, worst case we never have to see the sorcerers ever again,” Ben says, making a point of not thinking about WingDings being taken away. Both husband and wife’s minds are the same and they are both worried. “I don’t want to lose him either, but we can do this.”

“I know we can, just need to hear it a few more times to convince myself,” Marilyn smiles at WingDings who eagerly grins back.

Words of encouragement are all well and good, but as can be expected there are plenty of things that can go wrong. The stuck up sorcerers attitudes for one thing is stifling. They have no tact when handing over gifts and bragging about how perfect the gift is they bought, even though some of them have the audacity to buy something that isn’t even on Marilyn’s list of things they need. The refreshments taste disgusting and WingDings is easily upset any time it becomes to noisy or Mister Jerome is within eye sight.

It’s astonishing to Marilyn that Jerome has the audacity to show his face again in her house.

WingDings magical upsets keep those in the know very busy, grabbing at flailing hands and magic bones that pop out of nowhere.

At one point a sorcerer even finds a bone on the table and, thinking it’s a tooth pick for some of the horderves, sticks it in one of the cubes of ham and proceeds to use it for the rest of the party to the Guarders secret horror. This ends up being the answer to the bones problem though, sticking the tiny bones in various appetizers so the sorcerers think it’s all part of the strange decor. They already think badly of them so their conceit saves the family from suspicion.

Anytime someone asks to hold the baby, Marilyn doesn’t deny them, letting them try to hold the baby and every time WingDings wails like the little demon siren he is. Since the sorcerers want nothing to do with a screaming banshee they quickly relinquish the babe to wherever WingDings wants to go, which is typically Marilyn with Ben taking a close second along with the rest of the family.

WingDings is happiest when he’s set down in the living room to play with the triplets, playing peekaboo with them using his favorite blanket. Of course the triplets don’t recognize the human baby now sitting before them, but they don’t care either and eagerly play the game with him anyway. As everyone moves around WingDings, cooing at him or ignoring him, the baby bones keeps up his game until his small companions lose interest. When this happens a toy appears and he’s kept busy with the puzzle box, except the circle piece is missing.

WingDings face scrunches a bit as he looks for his favorite piece, starting to fret, but a teething ring appears and easily appeases him.

This goes on for some time, WingDings kept occupied with toys as the party around him winds down and people disperse. That’s when WingDings feels it, a tug inside him that he doesn’t like. Pressing his lips, WingDings pushes a clumsy hand into his sternum and whines, looking around for a face he knows. He sees Kat and immediately makes grabby hands for her asking her to come.

“You okay?” Katrina asks, carefully opening the pen and walking towards her baby brother.

WingDings bounces up and down vigorously, as if trying to launch himself into her arms quicker. When she picks him up the baby bones holds onto her shirt tightly, waiting a moment before fussing again. The feeling isn’t going away and he doesn’t like it so he begins to beep in distress.

“Shhh-shhhhh, no, no, beeping WingDings, no,” Katrina says softly to him, rushing towards her father. When WingDings gets like this there isn’t much someone like her can do.

As WingDings begins to cry Ben appears and expertly scoops the baby bones up into his arms. WingDings again becomes still as he clutches Ben’s shirt, his beeps ceasing as he waits.

The pause isn’t long as WingDings feels the weight on his soul and practically throws his body into Ben’s, knocking his dark skull into the mans shoulder. Softly at first WingDings cries, giving Ben just enough time to vacate the dwindling party scene as WingDings belts out a cry his family knows intimately.

Wincing with a forced smile, Ben holds WingDings close despite his loud cries. “There, there little bones, what’s the matter?” Ben tells him softly as he holds him.

“Do you think he’s hungry?” Katrina asks, standing by the door and wishing to help even as she plants her palms against the sides of her head.

“He’s probably just really tired, it’s been a long day for him,” Ben says, taking a seat in the corner chair and resigned to stay here for as long as it takes. Actually he can’t recall if they ever put WingDings down for a nap in all the chaos. “Help your mother.”

“I will,” Katrina says dutifully and Ben imagines she will help as well as an 8 year can.

Ben sits there, humming the melody of the music box Marilyn uses so often to calm him. The song encourages WingDings to lower his cries a little, but it isn’t until the pressure is gone from his chest that the baby bones is quiet again. As soon as the world around them is tranquil, WingDings falls asleep, tuckered out and happy against Ben’s chest.

The door opens a crack and Eliza’s head pops in. “Everyone’s gone dad,” she says, looking cautiously at the baby bones as if he’s a bomb waiting to go off.

“Ah, that’s too bad,” Ben stands, blinking his eyes and encouraging the fog that has gathered there to disperse at least a little. He carefully walks over to the crib and lays WingDings down, picking up the music box and carefully cranking it so the clinking notes don’t move too quickly. “I’ll have to thank the Jenkin’s next time we see them.”

Following after his daughter, Ben helps tidy up the house before the family takes a break to eat some dinner. A dinner that isn’t comprised of crackers, ham, or cheese with bones sticking out of them.

The silence that gathers around their table isn’t uncomfortable, instead it’s a relief after the busy topsy-turvyness of the day. Everyone is tired, but pleased with how well everything went. Sure there is a new stain on the carpet, more than a few bones got loose, and the sorcerers couldn’t help being jerks most of the time, but none of them found out that WingDings was a skeleton. In Ben’s book, today was a success.

The peace sadly ends with a shattering wail.

“Did you leave the light on?” Marilyn sighs, scarfing down one last mouthful of food before staggering to her sore feet.

“I did,” Ben assures her, doing the same as he takes one last bite and shuffles to his feet.

They don’t even reach the hall though when there is a knock at their door.

Ben and Marilyn glance at one another. “I’ll answer the door,” Ben says as Marilyn nods and heads for the room to try and calm their baby bones down again.

When the knock persists Ben reaches for the door as if it will get him there faster. “I’m coming, I’m coming,” Ben calls, glancing through the peep hole in the door and surprised to barely see the head of a child reflected on the rim of the glass. “Can I help you?” Ben asks in concern as he opens the door.

In front of him stands a child of messy brown hair, an oversized sweatshirt and a bundle clutched in their arms. “I hope so,” the child says, sagging in relief, but their facial expression is rather difficult to read.

Concern wiggles through Ben as his gaze drifts down to the bundle of clothe in the child’s arms.

“It’s a baby!” Katrina shouts in excitement from behind Ben’s leg.

And it isn’t just any baby. Carefully, the mysterious and rugged child pulls back the cloth revealing the sleeping face of a skeleton babe.

“Please come inside,” Ben immediately says, stepping aside and letting them into his home. He doesn’t understand what is happening, but his soul goes out to this child and he is just as sure as the day WingDings came into his life that this child will supply the answers his family has been desperately seeking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we come to the conclusion of the story. I really enjoyed briefly entering the mind of baby WingDings in this chapter. Very small part because I couldn’t manage it for very long. The magically appearing toys was fun. Only one chapter left, probably already knew WingDings wasn’t going to stay with the Guarder family the rest of his life, so next chapter will be the goodbyes.


	10. The First Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The conclusion to our Baby Bones adventure.

As soon as WingDings sees the mysterious child at the door he stops crying tears of pain and instead squeals in euphoric delight, arms and leg twisting towards the child in an attempt to float himself to them. If he could fly he would, just to be with one of his most favorite people.

“Goodness!” Marilyn attempts to get a better grip on the baby bones, frazzled and sending a glare at her husband for letting a stranger in there home. After that baby shower she is past done with strangers in the house. One look at the child though and Marilyn forgives Ben, the child is dirty and tired and needs help. “Are you all right?” she asks.

“I am now,” the child lifts their bundle and hands the second baby bones to Harvey who hastily accepts, holding them carefully even as he stares at them in shock upon being handed the baby so easily.

“My name is Frisk, it’s nice to meet you,” Frisk lifts their hand towards Ben, before realizing how filthy it is. They attempt to wipe it off on their shirt and when they are satisfied, they offer it again to Ben.

“I’m Ben Guarder and this is my family,” he introduces everyone before offering Frisk a meal.

“A meal would be very much appreciated,” Frisk says, giving a thumbs up and winking up at him as if he’s the coolest person they’ve ever met.

Ben chooses to chuckle politely at the display and leads Frisk to the kitchen where they left abandoned plates moments before. They prepare a plate for Frisk, filling it high and offer them a glass of water.

“You’re probably wondering why I’m here,” Frisk says as they gobble down the meal.

Everyone is at their seats, staring at the sight in bewilderment and Eliza is the first to recover. “Yes, yes we are,” Eliza says flatly. “You brought another baby bones,” she points at the other baby skeleton her father is gently holding. “Is WingDings yours?”

“Yes and no,” Frisk says, waving their fork back and forth before shoveling more food in their mouth. “You see I’m from another world and I’ve been looking for the piece of WingDings soul. I didn’t realize he followed me, the little stinker, although he probably didn’t do it on purpose.”

“Another world?” Katrina’s eyes light up.

“Piece of his soul?” Harvey asks.

“That is . . . quite the claim,” Ben chuckles nervously, adjusting the new baby in his arms as they fidget.

“I’d say it was preposterous, but I’ve seen enough to believe most anything now,” Marilyn sighs, absolutely tired and just begging for the world to make sense again. In her arms WingDings continues to fuss, but he isn’t screaming anymore. If anything he’s impatient with each spoonful of food his caretaker provides him.

“That’s how I found you,” Frisk explains, eagerness flashing momentarily past their hidden eyes. “I just found the piece of WingDings soul yesterday in a grave and that’s where I found this little guy.” They point to the tiny skeleton sleeping soundly in Ben’s arms. “At first I thought it was my WingDings, but nope this little guy was sealed away magically and the piece of my WingDings soul kept him safe and sound for who knows how long.”

“Wait, are you going to take WingDings away!” Katrina is instantly on her feet. Tehya’s comments from last week suggesting WingDings family might return for him clutches her and she is ready to fight for her baby brother.

But this time her family doesn’t come to her aid.

WingDings jumps a bit at the sudden noise, but continues eating. His counter part is not as calm and wakes up, whimpering and fussing in Ben’s arms.

When no one says anything, aside from the babies, Frisk speaks up again. “Well yeah, he doesn’t belong here,” Frisk says matter-of-factly encouraging the other child to get red in the face.

“No! He’s my baby brother!” Katrina snaps, looking to her mom. “He’s ours right.”

Marilyn clenches her teeth and takes a breath. She takes too long to answer though so Katrina shifts her head to her father instead. “Right daddy!”

“Kit Kat, he was never ours,” Ben tries to say gently, standing to retrieve some baby food for the second skeleton that has now decided that this isn’t the time to sleep, but to cry and eat.

“Dad is right Kat, if WingDings has another family he needs to be with them,” Marilyn continues, the words falling like ash from her mouth. She loves this child in her arms, but she knew this might happen. Thought of this scenario in the late hours of the night. Maybe not this scenario exactly, but the day they’d have to return WingDings to his rightful family. If she ever lost one of her little ones, she knows she’d want them returned to her.

“That is if you have proof.” She won’t just hand over her baby to anyone after all. While it would be rather low for the sorcerers to send a child to deceive them she wouldn’t put it past them either.

Frisk whips out their phone and holds up a picture for all of them to see. The device isn’t like anything they’ve ever seen before, which means very clearly that Frisk really isn’t from their world or from the S.G. The picture clearly shows two adult skeletons, Frisk and baby WingDings held happily in their arms.

Seeing the image brings near tears to Marilyn’s eyes and Ben’s face looks ten years older as he comes to grips with what his soul is telling him.

“This isn’t fair!” Katrina screams furiously.

“Kat,” Marilyn tries to start a dialog with her youngest, but it is all too much for the child who races for the hall and slams the door of her room behind her. Slammed with such finality, as if it would never to open again.

“I’m sorry,” Frisk takes a seat, carefully placing their phone on the table. “You must be wonderful people to care for WingDings so much. Of all the places he could have ended up I’m grateful it was with you.”

“Thank you Frisk,” Ben says softly returning to feeding the young one in his arms. “And what about this baby bones?” He smiles at the babe who blinks at him and leans forward to get that mouthful of food that he really cares about most.

“I don’t know,” Frisk admits awkwardly, pressing their lips into an uneven line. “The grave was dated from the 1300’s so I really doubt he has any family. The grave said WingDings Aster.”

“There are no skeletons left alive,” Harvey speaks up.

“I can’t take him with me, I don’t know what that would do . . .” Frisk trails off, pushing food around their plate. “Would you be willing to take care of him?” They ask cautiously. Before Marilyn can even try protesting Frisk speaks again, clasping their hands towards her in a desperate plea. “Please, you took such good care of WingDings, surely you can take care of this one I accidentally brought back from the grave.”

Seeing that look on Frisk's face brings Marilyn back to when her little Kat brought WingDings to her two months ago. The ‘I’m not ready for this,’ kind of look.

Marilyn sags in her chair. She doesn’t even have to look at Ben to know what he’ll say and really her soul is in the same place. This problem has nothing to do with them and is so complicated she could probably never logic a proper way of going about it, but she knows that they are the adults here and need to be the ones who take responsibility.

“Yes, we’d be willing to take him in as our own,” Marilyn says with a tired smile. Opening her eyes she looks across the table to her kindhearted husband who probably made up his mind as soon as he’d opened the door to this child. “Isn’t that right Ben.”

“Yes, we’ll raise him and protect him for as long as he’ll have us,” Ben says wisely, shifting the baby bones in his arms and grinning at the child with the eyes and smile he’s given every child he’s ever held.

That makes it official.

“That’s right,” Marilyn softly agrees, eyes only on Ben even as WingDings looks at her with large curious eye lights.

“Looks like we still have a baby brother,” Eliza says.

“Kat will be glad,” Harvey says.

“How do you two feel about this?” Ben asks, ever willing to hear his children’s opinions.

“Kinda feels like we’re replacing WingDings, but if we don’t take this new baby who will?” Harvey says logically. “And WingDings already has a good family, this baby deserves a good family too.”

“Yeah, we can be that family,” Eliza tags on.

After a beat Frisk speaks again. “Wow,” they say, looking at each of them in turn and their gaze even going towards the hall to where Katrina disappeared. “I really hope that every family WingDings finds in the future are as kind and loving as all of you.”

The weight of those words are not fully understood by the recipients but they know enough to realize just how much it means to Frisk. It is the ultimate compliment, doesn’t matter that it’s coming from a strange child, it still means something.

And one day they’ll understand.

Eventually Katrina sulks out of her room and as Frisk takes a bath the family has a long discussion of what the future will hold. It is scary and daunting, but they will be there together facing it as a family, just like they have since WingDings arrived. When Frisk comes out of the bath and after putting the baby bones down to sleep, Marilyn and Ben have a long discussion with the child over the details of WingDings appearance and how they can help.

Frisk stays with them several days, resting and recovering before it is time for them to return home.

“He loves the song Für Elise,” Marilyn tells Frisk as she carefully hands WingDings over to them, wrapped snuggling in the blanket they found him in.

“I’ll be sure to tell his brothers that,” Frisk promises, taking a seat on the couch so they can hold WingDings properly and pull out their cell phone to access their loot box.

The Guarder’s watch in awe as Frisk produces a small light from their phone, a small star of white that twinkles with fragile flickers, but defiantly continues to burn despite it’s weakness. In Frisk’s arms WingDings grows quiet, looking at the star and reaching for it. Carefully Frisk removes the baby bones soul, allowing the piece to drift within the safety of red.

“Thank you and good luck,” Frisk tells them as darkness snatches them from the world and deposits them on the couch of their own living room.

There is a lonely silence and the young Frisk doesn’t break it, letting it linger as they gather their thoughts.

“Well WingDings,” Frisk eventually says, WingDings eyes recognizing the words and snap to look at Frisk, even as he gnaws on his blanket. “Next time you’re staying home, you got that.”

WingDings doesn’t answer, only giggling and buzzing as if trying to answer them.

“Yeah, I figured you’d say that,” Frisk kisses his skull lightly and stands, expecting a frantic phone call from Papyrus at any second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, yeah, I couldn’t help myself and gave the Guarder family their own WingDings to take care of because why not! They deserve to have their own skeleton baby. Also fun to think that while WingDings goes on through his adventures there is another WingDings living his life with the Guarder family.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this little filler story showing a piece of WingDings babyhood, see ya with the next installment soon.


End file.
